


Born of Fire

by JavierDjarin



Series: Enigma Rising [1]
Category: Pedro Pascal - Fandom, Star Wars, The Mandalorian
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Strong Language, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:15:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 80,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29321496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JavierDjarin/pseuds/JavierDjarin
Summary: The infamous Mandalorian, or to a few Din Djarin, is a hardened bounty hunter who enjoys working alone. It’s more efficient that way. Get in, get out, get the job done. He rarely lets people in, even the ones that considered themselves close to him. That was until he found The Child. Now, he feels responsible for this life he chose to save. He’s having to watch his back around every corner they turn.Nella “Enigma” Jissard, cold hearted bounty hunter extraordinaire, was hired by the Guild to track down Mando - no questions asked. She has her anonymity on her side. Much like the Mandalorian, none of her targets have seen her face, or at least lived to tell about it. And no one knows her true identity. Her mission: Infiltrate Mando’s crew and bring him to Nevarro. Alive. Little does she know how difficult her mission is going to become, especially the more she gets to know the man beneath the Beskar.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Nellanna Jissard (Fem!OC), Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Enigma Rising [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2153778
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For starters, this is going to be my first time writing Din. So, fingers crossed this goes well. This idea just sort of came to me in a dream one night. I totally got the title from a series that I absolutely love: The League: Nemesis Rising series by Sherrilyn 'Kenyon' McQueen; definitely check these books out. They’re set in space. There’s assassins, pirates, rogues, corrupt governments, and romance. What more could you want! The second book in this series is called Born of Fire and it’s one of my favorites in the series. I used this book as inspiration, but if you read it and think this fic is going to go in a similar direction you are both right and wrong!
> 
> All Mando'a translations will be at the bottom of each chapter.  
> This fic will end with season 1.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nella’s family was devoted to the Rebel cause, to the point they were willing to die for it. Nella was not ready to give the same sacrifice. So in an attempt to run, she comes across a hardened bounty hunter that changes her life forever.

**0 BBY**

“Mother!” she cried as she watched the mercenaries slit her throat. The Rebel Captain’s arms were wrapped around her waist, pulling her to safety as she kicked and screamed to be let go. Her entire family - father, two older sisters, and finally her mother - were just murdered in front of her by Imperial Mercenaries and she wanted nothing more than to run back and fight every last one of them until they were bleeding out. 

“They’re gone, Jissard,” the Captain coldly responded as he dragged her onto his ship. He nodded to his crew as they began their launch sequences. He roughly set her down in the crews’ quarters on a bunk. “Clean up,” he said, “we’re headed back to base.”

She glared at him, tears no longer streaming down her face. “I’m not going back to Yavin,” she said.

“Your family had a mission to complete. You’re the only one with the locations of the droids,” he growled.

She shook her head. “You’re mistaken, Captain. Our contact didn’t have the droids or the whereabouts for these droids on them. As soon as he started talking, the mercenaries found us and you guys barged in to stop them. The only thing I know is the droid has plans for a weapon like nothing we’ve ever seen.”

He growled and slammed his fist into the nearby bunk. “So you got nothing from him?”

She crossed her arms and stared at him. 

He swore under his breath and stormed out of the room. The second the doors closed, she fell back against the bed and let the tears fall. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the looks of horror on her sisters’ faces as the mercs ran daggers along their necks. She could hear her father and mother scream as they watched. She’d only been saved, because the Rebels ran in just in time to stop the mercs from annihilating the entire Jissard family. 

She was so overcome with anger and grief that she sat up and stormed out of the quarters. They had yet to launch, and the crew was too busy to pay any attention to her. She had had enough of the sacrifice. The only thing left she had to give to the cause was her own life, and she refused. She needed to live to remember her family, to avenge their deaths. She looked around for the crew, and still no one watched her. She was able to hit the release as the door opened. Just then, the Captain entered the hold to stop her. “Jissard!” he exclaimed, but she jumped through the doors and fled from his ship. She ran until she found cover in a cave not too far from the ship, but far enough they wouldn’t dare venture out to find her; just in case Jawas were near.

“Fuck,” the Captain said under his breath.

“What do we do about her, sir?”

He let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head. “Write in the report, Nella Jissard died along with the rest of her family at the hand of mercenaries.”

***

Early the next morning, Nella woke to the sound of Jawas just outside the cave entrance. She held her blaster close to her as she snuck forward to watch them. She was silently cursing herself for never bothering to learn their language, but she had managed to gather they weren’t staying in this area for long. She then heard them mention an abandoned ship. Her ears perked up to that, knowing if she wanted to run from here, away from everything she’d need a ship. Nella waited patiently for about twenty minutes before she figured she was safe to leave. 

She stayed close to the cliffs as she headed north, or what she hoped was north since the planet’s two suns were still rising, until she saw a ship off in the distance. As she drew closer to the craft, she froze in her steps. That wasn’t just any abandoned ship. Anyone would recognize the modified _Firespray-31-class_ Interceptor. She watched it carefully, looking for any signs of movement, and she didn’t see one. If anything, she figured she could stow away and stay on board until its pilot reached his next destination. 

Slowly, Nella made her way to the ship and looked for a panel near the door where she could hot wire it open to let herself in. She grabbed a tool from her boot to help her loosen it as she searched for the correct wires that would help her break into the ship. She’d found the correct green and white wire when she heard movement behind her. She whipped around, aiming her gun at whatever it was that was trying to sneak up on her. Unfortunately for her, it was none other than the infamous Mandalorian Bounty Hunter and pilot to this ship, Boba Fett.

“Shit,” she breathed.

His guns were trained on her, but he titled his head at her, impressed with her speed. “You have exactly fifteen seconds to walk away, Kid.”

“Oh yeah? So you can shoot me in the back?” she grimaced at him. 

He chuckled through the mod on his helmet. “Nice try, but I don’t shoot kids. Run back to your parents.”

Nella tightened her grip on her blaster and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t have any parents.”

He did the same to his and lowered them to her chest. “Is that a fact?” he said, in more fact than anything. Nowadays, orphans were a dime a dozen.

“They were murdered, yesterday, by mercs.”

He shifted his weight to his left leg. She could feel his eyes burning through her, even though he kept his helmet on. “Jissard?” he asked.

She tensed, glaring at him and curling her lip back. “Jissard is dead.”

“Look, if you’re the one that got away, they’re looking for you.”

“And you’re a bounty hunter, which means you’re going to turn me in.”

He turned his blasters away from her and held his hands up, shaking his head. “No,” his raspy voice breathed through his mod, “you’re just a kid.” He took a step forward, and she shot just close enough to his feet that he stopped.

Nella couldn’t see the smile he was giving her behind the helmet, but he felt an odd sense of respect for this young girl, who moments ago was trying to break onto his ship. “What does that matter?” she asked, a few tears running down her face, “Mercs and Bounty Hunters, you’re all the same! You kill for money.”

He sighed and holstered his weapons, holding out a hand to show some sort of peaceful sign. “Except Bounty Hunters have a Code. Mercs are heartless.”

“Yeah, well aren’t you the cold, heartless, Bounty Hunter Boba Fett?” she spat.

He nodded. “What’s your name, Jissard?”

She started to tremble. “N-nella.”

“Okay, Nella,” he continued, “we do have to kill you, but not in the sense you think. We just need everyone to think you died when your family did, and then you’ll be a little enigma to everyone that meets you.”

Nella glared at him and aimed her gun at his head. “Why are you helping me?”

“You’ve got spirit, Kid. Besides, you seem pretty handy with a screwdriver and a wrench,” he answered, “and if you want off this planet, I’m your only option right now.”

She looked around at the wasted land, desert for as far as the eye could see. Suddenly she started to feel overwhelmed, tears were flooding the rims of her eyes, but she refused to break in front of a Fett. “What are you going to do with me?”

He took another cautious step forward with his hand still raised, asking her to lower her blaster. “Well, I’ll take you on as a mechanic and maybe even train you myself. Get good enough, you can join the guild and earn your keep.”

“And if I say no?”

Boba shrugged. “Then, I’ll leave you here for the Mercs to find you.”

Nella considered for a moment. This was possibly her best and only option to at least get off the planet. _There is absolutely no way I am staying any longer than necessary._ She thought to herself. “I get to keep my blaster.”

He nodded. “That’s fine.”

Slowly, she holstered her blaster and Boba relaxed a little. He stuck out his hand for her to shake, which she hesitantly did. “Am I free to leave any time I want?”

He nodded again. “Once you leave, though, I can’t keep you safe from the mercs and other hunters after you.”

She smiled at him. “I thought you were going to kill me so that _didn’t_ happen.”

Boba chuckled again through the mod on his helmet. “Welcome aboard, kid.”

“I’m going to need a new name if I’m dead.”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Enigma. But I get to call you Nell just to aggravate you.”

Nella glared at him and shook his hand. “Deal, Boba.”

The Mandalorian reached around her and unlocked his ship. “Patch up the ship before you come on board, _Nell_.”

She groaned and glared at him as she watched him stride onto the ship. She grabbed the plate she popped out and replaced it, after carefully tucking the wires back in where they belonged. “Let’s go!” he shouted behind him.

Nella took a long deep breath and looked behind her before following him onto the ship. The doors closed behind her, sealing her in. There was absolutely no turning back now, and at this point, she didn’t want to. She was ready to see where this was going to lead. She followed him up the stairs to the main deck and he motioned for her to sit in the co-pilot’s chair. “Alright,” he said, “I’ve got to stop at Mos Eisley, but after that we have a few jobs to fulfil.”

“Do you ever take that thing off?” she asked, motioning to the helmet. 

He shook his head as he began the launch sequence. “You’ve got a lot to learn.” He chuckled, again before instructing her on which switches to flip to make for a smooth launch off Tatooine.

***

**9 ABY**

“Do you understand what we’re asking you to do?” the accented voice asked her.

She looked through the visor of her helmet at him. This was her most prized possession she owned after the death of her beloved mentor. Enigma was across the galaxy on a job when the news of Boba Fett’s death in the Sarlacc Pit reached her. Naturally she was devastated, but he’d taught her to forego all attachments. So, she clung to the helmet he had made for her as her last memento from him. It wasn’t Mandalorian by any means, because she never swore any creed. However, she rarely took it off around clients or bounties. Boba had taught her enough about the varying Mandalorian sects that she just picked and chose which values suited her best. Never removing her helmet was one, unlike Boba.Lucky for her, Boba designed the visor to take over the entire front of the helmet to give her better vision and movement. He’d always looked after his Nell like she was his own after he’d found her on Tatooine, and now she was grown and living every day to make him proud.

“You want me to find the Mandalorian,” she said, her voice clearly distorted but still feminine.

“We want The Child. If you bring in The Mandalorian, you will be rewarded for him as well. The Child is our main concern.”

Enigma looked around the ruined Imp hideout. “Why me?”

Naturally, she’d always sympathized with Mandalorians after her family was murdered, but this one broke the Guild Code. The one thing Boba had taught her to always uphold. “If you don’t have a code, then you have nothing,” he’d told her. 

Since Mando decided the Code was something he could no longer follow, she’d lost all respect for him. He was a revered Bounty Hunter, and she’d admired his work for years. Enigma only had the privilege of meeting him once on Nevarro about four years ago. He’d already made a name for himself by then, and his quiet, brooding presence was always something that fascinated her. Now, she was being given the chance to take up his mantle once she brought him in for his crimes against the Guild and the stolen Child he’d taken with him. 

“Because,” the Client slurred, “we want to hire the best to take down the best. We will make this worth your time.” He snapped his fingers and a trooper stepped forward with a large sack that was full of credits. “Consider this a down payment to show our good faith.”

She ran her gloved hands through the bag and glanced up at him. “I’ll consider this a sufficient down payment.”

The Client smiled. “The Child needs to be brought back alive.”

Enigma nodded. “I’ll send you updates through Karga, and you’ll pay him for his troubles.”

“Of course.”

She grabbed the bag full of credits and attached it to her belt. She strode across the floor to head after her next job. Little did she know this bounty was going to be the most difficult job of her life. Something Boba could never have prepared her for.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While staying with family, some old ghosts come back to haunt her, and Nella considers what she’s missing in her life. She manages to track down Mando and The Child. She needs to devise a plan to bring both targets back to Nevarro alive.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she mumbled as she read the report again. He was headed to a planet she was more than familiar with. She looked around on the ship she’d managed to catch a ride on and sighed. She made her way up to the cock-pit and waited for the captain to open the doors. 

With a smooth transition, the doors slid open and exposed the large pilot’s chair in the center. “Find your target, Enigma?” he said, without looking back at her.

“He’s heading to Sorgan,” she monotonously replied.

He huffed. “Do you have any idea how many parsecs out of the way that is?”

“I’m paying you,” she said, her growl coming through the voice modulator, “what does it matter?”

“What does it matter!” he exclaimed, turning to look into her helmet. “I have a shipment that has to get to Tatooine.”

“I’m paying you more than what that shipment is worth, Shan.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the metal framing. “Isn’t that all you smugglers care about? Payment?”

He sighed and shook his head.

“Look, at most, you’ll be a day late,” she added.

Shan glanced at her with an eyebrow raised and smiled. “You’re lucky that I’d do anything for you, E.” Enigma didn’t move. She stood with her arms folded, helmet facing forward. “Are you smiling under there?” he grinned at her.

She let out a soft chuckle, that sounded a little distorted from the mod, and she shook her head. “I’m also rolling my eyes.”

“What color are your eyes?”

She turned to leave, but looked back at him over her shoulder. “For all you know, I don’t have any.”

He laughed as she walked away and called after her. “I know you’re not Miraluka.”

***

Shan landed the ship in a far off field away from the settlement just like Enigma asked. He’d given her a large satchel to keep her gear in and a few provisions to last her a couple of days. She waited for several minutes before she started making her way through the lush, green forest. The last time she was here, she was barely ten. Her parents dropped her and her sister off with her grandmother and aunt, her mother’s mother and sister, while they ran a dangerous mission for the Rebels. _If only they had done that on our last mission,_ she thought to herself. Her sister would at least still be alive, and she wouldn’t be alone in the world. Her grandmother had passed during her last stay here, but she knew her aunt still lived there. She sighed and made her way towards the village, hoping to find a warm welcome. 

She was about a click or two away from the small farming village when she stopped behind a small knoll in the forest. Enigma tapped on the control pad on her arm so her helmet could detect heat signatures. All weak and made by warm bodies several hours prior. She was safe. Quickly, she took off her armor, storing it in the large sack that Shan had given her. Her helmet was the last thing she removed, and she suddenly felt naked without it. In order for her plan to work, she needed Enigma to be dead for only a few days. She adjusted the shirt she’d packed and braided her sleek, brown hair to keep it out of her face with only a few loose strands falling around her cheeks. She kept her blaster strapped to her hip as she slung her bag over her shoulder and continued her journey. 

It was a small farming village surrounded by several krill ponds. The minute she could see the town, she could hear the children running around the fields and playing while the adults worked tirelessly to farm their crops. She situated the bag on her shoulder and continued walking. She was more nervous than anything to see her aunt again after so many years. She was almost certain that she believed Nella to be dead, and so this was going to come as quite a surprise to her. She saw a young farmer look up at her as she approached, and she instantly recognized him as one of her childhood friends from here, Caben. He stood up and slowly walked over to her, meeting her at the edge of the first pond. 

“Can I help you?” he asked calmly.

Nella instantly felt herself become Enigma’s standoffish and snarky persona. But she was without the mask. She had to be herself again. “I’m here to see my aunt,” she replied, “Omera.”

Caben’s eyes widened as he finally _saw_ her. “N-nella? We heard you died on Tatooine.”

She shrugged at him and smiled. “I escaped.”

“Stoke!” he called. Another young farmer approached that Nella instantly recognized. “Stoke, look who’s back from the dead.”

“Well, I don’t believe it! Omera’s going to be thrilled!” 

The both took turns hugging her, and she rigidly returned the gesture. They led her through the town until they reached a small hut attached to a barn. Stoke excitedly knocked on the door several times until a small, darked-haired woman answered. “My god, Stoke,” she said, opening her door, “what is it?” Omera stood stock still as she glanced at the ghost in front of her. “Mara?” she whispered, wishing it was her sister standing in front of her.

Nella smiled and shook her head. “It’s me, Aunt Mera. Nella.”

Omera wrapped her arms around her and held her close. “I thought you were dead,” she cried into her shoulder. “I heard you’d fallen with your parents on Tatooine.”

She sighed and actually melted against such a motherly embrace. “I made it out,” she replied, “I stole a ship and left.” 

Despite the fact she was on a mission, she was happy to be surrounded by people who loved her. It was a comforting change of pace to the cold, unforgiving life she had been leading for close to ten years. However, she knew this life could make her lazy. She was there to find The Mandalorian, capture him, and bring him back to Nevarro. 

Omera held her door open and motioned for the three of them to step inside the simple home. She set her bag down on the chair and looked around. This would be fine for a temporary place to sleep. No one would find her out here, and it was secluded enough that she could easily trap Mando if she needed. “How have things been?” she asked, as she turned back to her aunt.

Omera and Caben sighed. “We’ve been hit by raiders the last few weeks, and they keep stealing our harvests,” she replied.

Nella frowned and glared at him. “Have you tried fighting back?”

They shook their heads. “There’s too many of them, and we don’t know anything about fighting,” Stoke added.

Nella glanced over to her aunt who just shook her head. “We saw a ship fly in, really low, this morning,” Caben commented, “Stoke and I were going to start heading our way there after we finish today’s work.”

“Do you need help?” she asked, already knowing who the ship belonged to. _He’s making this almost too easy,_ she thought to herself. 

Caben shook his head. “We’ll be fine. We’ve scraped some money together to pay whoever it is to help us.”

Omera glanced at the two of them. “You two better hurry so you can leave, then,” she said, “I would like to catch up with my long lost niece.”

They quickly left as Omera fixed a cup of tea and set it in front of Nella. She graciously took the cup and began sipping on it as she watched Omera stare at her with tears in her eyes. “You look just like her,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind Nella’s ear. 

Nella tried to smile at her. “I miss her every day,” she replied.

“Me too.”

They sat in a deafening silence for several minutes before Omera asked, “what happened after you left Tatooine?”

She felt Enigma take over and give the same, robotic response that she always gave when people got too personal with her. “Odd jobs to help me get by.”

Omera’s eyebrows knit together as she glared at her niece. “What brings you back here?”

“I’m just looking for more work,” she said, “hoping to find some here or find something to get me to a better job. But I thought I would at least stop by and let you know I wasn’t dead.”

She watched as her aunt slowly relaxed next to her. “I can’t imagine what you’ve endured since…” she trailed off and looked at Nella. 

Nella finished her drink and stood to grab her bag. “Is there anywhere for me to stay?”

Omera looked around her small shack and shrugged. “We can make room for you. Winta won’t mind sharing a room for a little while.”

She shouldered her bag and looked out of the small window next to them. “I can stay in the barn. Honestly, it’s nicer than most places I’ve stayed in the last ten years. I’m not going to put Winta out.”

“Nella…”

She headed for the door. “Seriously, Aunt Mera, I don’t mind. Once I find work, I can get my own place.”

Nella let the door slide closed behind her as she made her way to the barn next to her. There were plenty of blankets and hay to make a small pallet for herself. She didn’t picture herself staying here long anyway, especially if Mando was already here. She gently set her bag down in the corner and hid it behind a sack of grain. She rummaged through her bag for her long-rang com pack to send Karga an update. “He’s here,” she whispered into the link. “Yes, Sorgan. I’ll call when he’s in custody.”

***

> _“This sounds too good to be true, Val,” Omara whispered, trying not to wake Nella and Alara. Unfortunately, Nella was wide awake and she could hear her parents discussing the mission in the morning._
> 
> _Val paced the floor and nodded. “I know, Mara, but if we can get our hands on those droids, we can bring the Empire down to its knees. They’re somewhere here on Tatooine.”_
> 
> _She shook her head. “Then send me and Elira, and you stay with the girls.”_
> 
> _He smiled and glanced over to his wife. “You know they will refuse to stay behind. They’re old enough now to be in this fight.”_
> 
> _She laughed. “They’re just as stubborn as you.”_
> 
> _He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. “They have your fighting spirit.”_
> 
> _That was the last time she saw her parents in pure bliss._

She sat up abruptly with her blaster in her hand, pointing it at the door - at nothing. She rarely slept well. Her last goodnight’s sleep was the first night she slept on Slave I. She’d been so exhausted physically and emotionally that she fell right asleep. After that, she’d kept her guard up. Boba had always taught her to sleep with one eye open and never fully believe that you are safe. Even on your own ship. _“Nowhere is safe anymore, Nell,”_ he’d told her once, _“and the second you believe you are, you’re dead.”_ She slowly laid back against her makeshift pillow, but held on to her blaster. 

Nella rolled over and looked at the sun that was barely creeping over the horizon. She took several deep breaths to calm herself and bring her heart rate back to normal. Even ten years later, she still wasn’t over the brutal murder of her family. Despite the fact she’d spent the last several years as a hardened bounty hunter, she found herself missing her family - yearning for that connection to feel loved. But the second she chose this way of life, she’d given all that up. It was easier living alone than with a bunch of weaknesses surrounding her that could easily be ripped away from her at a moment’s notice.

She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but it was useless. She slowly sat up and stretched. Nella stood and looked for something to at least run through some drills while she waited for Caben and Stoke to return with Mando. She found a pole leaning against the back wall and grabbed it, walking out past the Krill ponds to find a clear place to practice. She’d been practicing for a while when she heard someone approaching from behind her. Nella whipped around with the stick, pointing it at Winta and Omera with a smile. “How long has it been since you’ve sparred?” she asked.

Omera smiled. “A while.” She motioned for Omera to take the stick. “No, I don’t do that anymore.”

Winta looked up at her mother and back to Nella. “Can I try?” she asked.

Omera glanced down at her daughter and over to Nella. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, dear.”

“Please.”

Nella took a few steps forward. “I don’t mind. Besides, it’s a good idea she knows how to defend herself.”

There was some commotion in the town as the Repulsorlift Speeder made its way through the town carrying more than just Caben and Stoke. Nella’s heart began to race as she saw a woman sitting across from her target and The Child. She could see the tattoos on her arm, indicating she was a shock trooper. _Fuck_ , she thought to herself. She was just a minor inconvenience for the job, but she’d take care of her. Omera and Winta started to head into town with Nella close behind them. Winta ran right up to the sled to greet The Child while Nella stood back and observed. Farmers from the village started helping them unload as The Mandalorian climbed off the speeder, holding The Child in his arms. He stood stoically surveying the area, obviously looking for threats, when he stopped to look in her direction - or at least she assumed he did. Nella tried to relax her features so she didn’t come off as suspicious. She instantly turned her gaze to the woman with Mando before walking off to the temporary home she made for herself. 

She was crouched down next to her satchel when Omera entered. “You’re moving into the house,” she stated.

“Why?” She asked, as she quickly closed the bag.

She heard heavy footsteps on the deck. She spun around and glared at him. “You’re giving _him_ the barn?”

“I can find somewhere else,” he began, his deep voice flowing through the modulator.

“No,” Omera said as she turned to face the cold armored man in front of her, “my niece won’t mind moving.”

He gave a curt nod to Nella and set a few crates down near where she’d made her bed. “Thank you,” he said to her, “that’s very kind.”

Nella grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulder, struggling a little. “Let me help,” he began, reaching for her bag.

She dodged his grasp. “I got it.” Mando quickly withdrew his hand and nodded. He continued to look at her. Nella could feel his gaze cutting through his helmet and burning her skin. She shifted the bag and looked back at him. “What?”

“Have we met before?” Mando asked.

She felt her heart race, hoping he wouldn’t remember her from the last time they met. 

> _She was taking a break on Chandrila when he walked into the same cantina she was in looking for a bounty. She was so flustered to see him, since she’d only ever heard about him before. He was everything everyone had ever said. Cold, calculating, brooding, and intimidating. She watched him scan the room, looking for either a place to sit or his bounty. She couldn’t tell. He took several long strides and was soon standing next to her leaning across the bar waiting for the bartender._

“No,” she said standing a little straighter and taller, “I think I would remember meeting a Mandalorian.”

He huffed. “Yeah.” He turned his back to her and walked out to get more crates he’d brought from his ship.

Nella started to walk out when Omera stopped her. “I’m sorry,” she said, “they volunteered my shed. No one realized you were staying here.”

She shrugged. “It’s fine. After all, I said this was temporary anyway.”

She walked back to Omera’s house where she found Winta moving her things out of her room. Nella stopped her and said she would be fine sleeping on the floor of her room so Winta didn’t need to move. “Are you sure?” she asked.

Nella smiled at her and nodded. “Yes. I almost prefer the floor.”

***

Mando brought the last of his boxes into the barn, and The Child cooed at him from the makeshift crib he’d made him. He glanced over at him, grinning, even though the kid couldn’t see his expressions. “You think this is a good idea?” he asked the kid.

The big round eyes blinked at him as he cocked his head to the side the same way he’d seen Mando do so many times before.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I’m not going to get too comfortable until I know it’s safe.”

Cara walked in and chuckled. “You talk to him?”

He sighed and ignored her question as he stared at her with his arms folded.

“I say we go out in the morning, look into what we’re up against,” she added.

Mando nodded. “What about the kid?”

“The villagers can take care of him. That widow, what’s her name - Omera? She can watch him. I’m sure she’d be _happy_ to.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s her niece that worries me. She’s…”

“Evasive?” she finished.

“There’s just something a little off about her.”

Cara shrugged. “I think you’re reading too much into it. She might be here hiding out just like us.”

Omera joined them, carrying a basket of food. She smiled at both of them and set it on the windowsill. “I brought you some food,” she said, “I noticed you didn’t eat out there.”

Cara smiled and peered in the basket for him. “That’s very thoughtful of you,” Mando monotonously replied as he turned to look at the basket. 

Omera’s niece walked in carrying more blankets. She set them in the corner, and Cara turned to watch her over her shoulder. As she leaned to move a few things around, Cara saw a Rebel tattoo on the inside of her wrist. She gasped and watched her leave. Mando observed, concerned, but didn’t want to leave the kid behind. He figured Cara could handle it, if anything, or at least call him in for back up.

Cara walked with her out of the barn, stealthily following her. Nella swiftly turned the corner to go around the side of Omera’s house. She spun on her heel and grabbed Cara by her vest, slamming her against the wall of the house with a knife pressed to her throat. “Why are you following me?” Nella growled.

Cara grinned at her and held her hands up in defense. “I saw your tattoo,” she replied, pointing at the Rebel Alliance symbol imprinted on her wrist. “Although, now I have more questions.”

Nella pressed a little harder before turning away to leave.

“Where’d you serve?” Cara asked before she could walk off.

Nella looked down at the tattoo on her wrist. She and Alara got these together when she turned sixteen. It was a way to show support and dedication to the cause. The Rebels took in her family and provided them with security and a home. She’d never had a place she felt like she belonged until her family officially became part of the Rebels. Then, it was a reminder of family. Now, it was painful to look at. Normally, her suit covered it and she didn’t have to look at it, face the tribute to her lost loved ones forever printed on her skin.

“I was too young. My parents and sister served. They were agents; spies mostly for Mon Mothma and Leia.”

“Shock trooper. Saw most of my action on Endor.”

Nella nodded and winced at the thought of her family. “I left after their failed mission on Tatooine months before the Battle of Yavin.”

Cara frowned and looked hard at Nella. “Jissard?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, “the Rebels reported me dead when I escaped their custody.” Cara smiled and inclined her head at her in respect. “You know who I am…”

“Dune,” she replied, “Cara Dune. I’ve been hiding out in a small town not far from here.”

Nella grinned at her. “Maybe you should have kept it that way.”

Cara leaned against the wall behind her and grinned, folding her arms across her chest. “Any idea what these raiders want with your aunt’s village? Or who’s attacking them?”

She shook her head. “No. I just got here yesterday morning. Stopped here to see my family before moving on to find work.” She sighed and stared at Cara, trying to gauge her expressions. “Who’s the tin can you’re traveling with?”

She chuckled and looked back around the house towards the barn where Mando was staying. “He’s some Mandalorian I met yesterday. He and his kid are just looking for a place to lay low of a bit.”

Nella’s eyebrows knit together. “Seems Sorgan is getting a little crowded.”

“Nella!” Omera called.

She nodded her head at Cara before running to her aunt. Cara let out a low laugh and returned to the barn where Mando was standing, looking out at the group of children playing with the kid. If it weren’t for the rise and fall of his chest, she would have sworn he was a statue. “I think you’re going to find Omera’s niece to be an interesting addition to this village,” she said, sitting down on a crate.

“And why’s that?” his voice crackled through the mod.

“She’s a Rebel. Or,” she paused, “at least she was. She left before the Battle of Yavin when her whole family was murdered by mercs on Tatooine.”

He turned to look at her and leaned against the windowsill. “Who is she?”

“Nella Jissard. Her parents were Val and Omara Jissard. If I remember right, they flew with the Ghost Crew a few times. Reported directly to Mon Mothma and Organa.”

Mando didn’t move as he listened to Cara. He was familiar with Jissard. He and his wife were responsible for so many successful intelligence missions, which made them high profile bounties. He had the opportunity to take them out on Tatooine, but he declined the offer. He didn’t feel right killing an entire family. He’d surveyed the family the day he received the offer, which was when he saw they had three young daughters, one of which was obviously Nella. Everything suddenly made sense. He had seen her before; he spared her life so many years ago. If only he continued to watch over the family until their mission was complete. Then maybe he could have spared Nella the same pain he faced as a young boy. Maybe if he’d sent that message -

“Hey, Mando,” Cara said, bringing him out of his thoughts, “did you hear what I said?”

He tilted his head at her, indicating he did not. “I said, we should probably attempt to track the raiders back to their camp to see what we are dealing with.”

“Yeah.”

She glanced up at him from her seat. He clearly still had not heard what she said when he shifted his weight into his other leg and looked out the door. “Where is Jissard?” he asked.

Cara shrugged her shoulders. “She went after Omera, last I saw.”

Without a second thought, he walked out of the barn to search for her.

***

Nella shook the last sheet and hung it up on the line before grabbing her makeshift staff to finish running drills just outside of town. She needed to come up with a plan and fast, if she was going to collect that bounty. The Client said he only wanted The Child, but if she brought in Mando he’d pay her more. Naturally, she wanted that extra payment. Somehow, she was going to have to weasel her way onto his ship and gain his trust. If her peaceful approach didn’t work, then she was going to have no other choice than to kill him, or the very least take him prisoner. She smiled and chuckled to herself as she took the same path she walked earlier this morning. Last she checked, she never resorted to a peaceful approach. It was always shoot first and ask questions later, but she didn’t want to take any chances with the child. She didn’t want him to be caught in the crosshairs. 

She’d found the same spot where she’d been running drills earlier and resumed them. She did her best thinking when she was sparring or practicing. Nella stood still, taking a deep breath before running through her first maneuver. She opened her eyes when she heard a stick pop behind her. _I am never going to get through these,_ she thought to herself. She opted to ignore the sound behind her and decided to move through her routine anyway. She flipped and spun the staff in her hands with such fluidity that it appeared to be just an extension of her arm. She saw The Mandalorian watching her from a close distance, and she figured he was the stick she heard break. Nella finished her last move before spinning the stick in her hand and resting it behind her as she turned to face him. “Enjoying the performance?” she said, slowly approaching him.

He shifted his weight to his left foot and stood with his hands on his hips. “I was just waiting for you to finish before I asked you a few questions,” his deep baritone voice spoke through his helmet.

Nella sighed and wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “The two of you like to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong,” she said, slowly spinning the stick again.

He huffed and crossed his arms. “Just trying to make sure you’re not going to cause us any problems.”

She gave him a coy, devilish grin. “I do believe I was here first. Besides, this is my family’s village. I should be asking you if you’re going to cause problems.”

He stepped closer to her, trying to intimidate her. He was impressed to see she didn’t back down, but instead stepped forward, standing toe-to-toe with him. “I’ll make a deal with you,” she grinned, “beat me in a friendly fight, and I’ll answer any question you have.”

He chucked at her. “You sure about that?”

She tapped the end of her stick in the middle of his breastplate. “Unless you don’t think you can beat me.”

Nella lightly ran the other end of her stick down his leg, catching him off guard and sweeping his feet out from under him. He landed with a hard thud, to which he rolled over on his stomach and stood up. Mando crouched low, and prepared to spar with her. She couldn’t see, but he was grinning at her. It had been a long time since he’d sparred with anyone for fun, and this was quite refreshing for him. He swung for her, and she ducked, hitting him with her staff on his side. She spun to strike him with her stick again, but he caught it with his hand, ripping it away from her and tossing it to the side. He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her. She reared back before coming down hard and flipping him over her shoulder. He rolled to the right and grabbed her ankle, pulling her to the ground. He made a motion to climb over her and pin her under him, but she kicked him in the chest to send him flying backwards. She pushed off the ground and landed on her feet with a large smile. He slowly rose to his feet and stepped backwards for a minute to regain his breath. Mando ran at her, but she attempted to scissor kick him. He grabbed her foot, so she propelled herself off the ground to spin out of his grasp, kicking him in the helmet in the process. That sent him to the ground again as the vibration from the kick rang in his ears. 

“Yield?” she laughed when she landed.

He glanced up at her through the visor in his helmet. “Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

“That wasn’t the deal, _Mando_.”

He returned her laugh and slowly stood up. “I’m still standing,” he replied, “so you haven’t won, either, _Nell_.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Nella learn a little more about each other, but are still on their guard. Nella is frustrated that she has to put her mission on hold in order to not blow her cover. Klatooinians attack the village, and Din realizes there’s more to Nella than meets the eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Violence, Angst

She froze at the use of her old nickname as her heart beat loudly in her chest. “What did you call me?” She said, taking a step back from him.

Din held his hand up to her in an effort to show he meant nothing by it and to calm her. “Cara told me who you were,” he soothed.

“Yeah,” she snapped, “but you called me Nell.”

He realized that their playful banter and sparring session was over as she retreated back into herself. “I’m…” he paused. She was not interested in his apology. “I overstepped.” He stood a little straighter and turned to walk away from her.

“Mando,” she softly called after him, realizing she’d overreacted. He turned and looked at her over his shoulder. “You put up a good fight.”

He chuckled and nodded. “Not as good of a one as you, Jissard.”

She watched him turn and walk off. She huffed and grabbed her staff and headed back into the village. Nella stormed back to Omera’s as she watched Cara and Mando pass her, walking in the opposite direction towards the forest. She watched him leave before turning to her attention to The Child who was blissfully unaware of the bounty placed on his head. She could snatch him now and collect his bounty, but then she’d run the risk of Mando catching up to her. No, she needed to get rid of the biggest obstacle first. 

***

Cara looked back at The Mandalorian sauntering behind her. She lightly chuckled as she shook her head and continued to follow the tracks laid out in front of her. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing, except you got your ass handed to you earlier.”

He glanced up at her, but then continued scanning the area. “About 15 or 20 of them came through here on foot,” he observed.

She shook her head and let him lead the way. “I’m sure you got just as much information out of her as I did.”

“And something big sheared off those branches,” he added pointing above them.

“Shit,” she said, her stomach instantly dropping, “AT-ST.”

“Imperial Walker. What’s it doing here?”

“I don’t know, but it’s more than I signed up for.”

He sighed through the mod and turned to head back to the village. “We better tell them.” 

Cara stopped him. “Look,” she said, “Jissard grew up with the Rebels…”

He glared at her through the visor on his helmet waiting for her to finish the plan that wouldn’t work.

“I’m sure she’d be willing to help us since it’s her aunt’s village, after all.”

Din leaned to one side and folded his arms. “Something tells me she wants no part in this.”

Cara smiled at him. “Oh yeah? Well, something tells me she’s always looking for a fight. Isn’t that something you Mandalorians can relate to?”

He huffed at her and shook his head. He took several large steps away from her, making his way back to the village.

***

As she watched them leave, Nella rummaged through her bag to find her communication pack. She quickly locked the door to the house as she sent a message to Karga. “I’ve made contact with both targets,” she whispered.

“Wonderful!” he sang over the telecom. “When will you have them in custody?”

“I’m working on it,” she growled, “I have to get them back to his ship.”

“The Client is growing impatient,” he added, “They’re threatening to hire another guild member if you don’t return soon with both of them.”

She felt her blood churn a little. “Tell him that The Mandalorian and The Child are both with me and I’m working on getting them back to Nevarro. He will have them in his custody soon.”

Greef sighed. “Look, if it’s all the same, kill The Mandalorian and bring The Child. He’s worth a helluva lot of money alone. Do you really need that extra bounty?”

“He broke The Guild Code. His bounty is not about the money.”

He let out an annoyed groan. “I forgot, you have some ridiculous code yourself. If you wait any longer, you won’t be the only one going after those bounties.”

She slammed her com shut and threw it into her pack. “Assholes,” she murmured as she glanced out the window. 

Nella watched as several villagers ran by the window in a rush. She quickly grabbed her blaster and followed them, thinking the raiders were back. When she saw them gathering in front of the barn behind her aunt’s house, that’s when she realized Mando and Cara had returned. They were both leaning against the framing, waiting for everyone to quiet down so they could speak. “Bad news,” Mando’s voice rang over the crowd, distorted by his mod, “Y’can’t live here anymore.”

She hid her smile behind her hand as she laughed at his cold delivery of such a statement. This caused unrest amongst the villagers as they shouted and pleaded for Mando to help them. Cara piped up and said something, but Nella was too busy watching him. He was carefully scanning the crowd until his eyes landed on her. She knew he saw her blaster in her hand, ready for a fight, and he gave her a small nod.

“That was before we knew about the AT-ST,” Cara added.

More unrest. The villagers pleaded with the two of them to help in any way possible, but Cara was insistent: there was no way they could beat the AT-ST. “We’re not leaving,” Omera said once the crowd calmed down.

“You cannot fight that thing,” Cara replied, shaking her head.

Din looked back over to Nella, who had her arms folded across her chest mirroring his stance. “Unless we show them how.”

He jumped down from the small platform and cut through the crowd to Nella. Everyone turned to watch him approach her. “It’s no secret you kicked my ass earlier,” his voice was lower now, “help us show them how to fight.”

“You want me to help you train an entire village to fight off a band of mercs?” She huffed at him and took a step back.

“You, of all people, should want to stop them.”

She felt her body run cold. She knew he was referring to the group of mercenaries that mercilessly killed her family. “This isn’t your fight, why are you helping?” she snarled.

“This is the way.”

Damn Mandalorians, she thought to herself. She could almost hear Boba’s words ringing in her ears, telling her to suck it up and help them. Her mission can be completed after she does her duty to those in need.

“Fine,” she replied through her gritted teeth.

She saw his shoulders relax more, and if she wasn’t mistaken, she could almost hear a smile in his voice when he said, “Looks like our deal isn’t over yet.”

“Our deal is off, Tin Can,” she said, grinning at him.

He chuckled. “Do you have any other weapons on you, Nell?”

She cringed at the nickname again. “Just my blaster,” she replied. And a full arsenal on my suit, she kept to herself.

“We have some weapons,” Omera offered as she stepped forward to separate her niece from the looming figure of The Mandalorian. 

“Great. Cara and Nell can teach everyone in hand-to-hand,” he turned to face the crowd, “Okay. Who knows how to shoot?”

As he scanned the crowd, his eyes finally fell on the sole person in the village that knew how to shoot: Omera. Honestly, he wasn’t the least bit surprised. If Nella grew up with the Rebels, Omera had to have some sort of background with them as well. He sighed and nodded at her. “Gather your weapons. We start training this afternoon.”

Nella turned to grab her staff when she felt a gloved hand slid around her wrist. Her Enigma instincts kicked in as she spun, ready to shoot Mando for touching her. “What?” she said, clearly annoyed with him.

Her big brown eyes caught him off guard, and suddenly, he was at a loss for words. He stuttered through his modulator as he continued to look at her. Her fury and intensity were unexpectedly attractive to him. His grip loosened as he thanked whatever higher power there was for his helmet, as it hid what he was certain was a dumbfounded expression on his face.

She pulled away from him and glared up into his visor. “What did you want?”

“I - uh - I think,” he turned to Cara, who was busy talking to a group of villagers, “you and Cara need to decide where you’re going to practice.”

Nella squinted her eyes at him in suspicion. “You’re terrible at this, you know,” she said.

“What?” He felt his cheeks suddenly burn.

“Being flustered.”

She blew past him, lightly brushing her shoulder against his, and joined Cara. She was growing more anxious every second she spent focusing on this instead of her mission. Patience, she reminded herself, get him to trust you, and you can get him to Nevarro.

He turned and watched her walk away from him before shaking his head and walking after Omera to help her gather their weapons. Once away from Nella, he instantly became aware of his elevated heart rate and labored breathing. He took deep breaths in and out to calm himself from the embarrassing mess he was just a few moments earlier. Din stopped for a second to look back at her when he heard a coo near his feet. He looked down and saw his tiny green shadow next to him, gazing up with a knowing smile. “I wasn’t flustered,” he said, “she just caught me off guard.”

The kid tilted his head.

“I know. I’m never off guard, but…” he growled in frustration. “What I meant was, I thought she was going to attack me, so I was on the defense.”

The kid’s attention was drawn to the group of kids that ran by. He forgot about Din and started waddling towards them as fast as he could. The Mandalorian shook his head and sighed. I don’t have time for this, he thought to himself. He continued walking, occasionally looking behind him in the direction of Nella. He stopped abruptly when he almost ran into Omera, who just chuckled and shook her head. “What?” he curtly asked.

“Oh nothing,” she grinned as she started pulling out cases of weapons, “just you and my niece are two peas in a pod.”

He huffed and grabbed a case, trying to ignore her statement. But curiosity was getting the best of him. “What does that mean?”

She stood up and put her hands on her hips as she watched him stay busy taking an inventory of the weapons they had. “You’re both always looking for the next fight,” she said, “for starters. I’ve also never seen two people so ‘on their guard’ in my life. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was raised by your lot.”

He stopped what he was doing and glanced up at her, cocking his head to one side. “Did she not come here after her parents…”

Omera shook her head. “She showed up a few days before you did, and is only staying until she finds work.”

Din felt a chill run through him and instantly pictured the worst. She was there for him and the kid. She has the skills of a hunter, he thought. But last he heard was that they’d sent Enigma after him, and he knew she’d never take her helmet off for anyone. It was a quality he’d admired about her. Much like his creed, Enigma lived by a strict code. She never revealed herself to anyone. He knew it was his training kicking in: trust no one and look for the next fight. She was just a Rebel refugee that was coming home. Yet, there was something in the back of his mind telling him to grab the kid and run. “Where was she before she came here?” his voice cracked through the mod.

A small smile crept across her face. “I’m not sure,” she replied, “but I’m sure you could ask her yourself.”

He let out a small chuckle. “I’m afraid that deal was off the second she kicked my ass.”

Din picked up a case and left, walking towards a group of villagers who were anxiously waiting to be assigned their weapon.

***

Nella stood next to Cara with her arms crossed as she listened to her give careful instructions on how to fight with the sticks she’d armed them with. “Hold your staff to protect your center,” Cara continued.

She took a deep breath and decided to interject. “The key is a strong stance. If you center yourself, then there’s no way your enemy can take you down,” Nella added, “if you don’t have a strong starting position, all your opponent needs to do is breathe on you, and you’re done.”

Cara looked at her with an eyebrow raised and grinned. “Care to demonstrate?” she asked, readying herself.

“I don’t think they’d want to watch both of their ‘leaders’ getting their asses handed to them today,” she chuckled.

She looked at Nella, daring her. She assessed Cara’s stance: feet too wide apart; leaned too far forward; arms to spread, not protecting her core. Nella took a deep sigh, slowly approached Cara, crouching low. She sent her elbow into Cara’s abdomen before pushing hard against her chest, sending her to the ground. She landed with a loud thud. Nella took a second to explain what Cara had done wrong, and instantly the villagers made their own stances, begging Nella to critique them. 

***

Din wasn’t far from Nella and Cara. He could watch them while setting up the targets. He laughed to himself when he saw Cara get knocked on her ass by Nella. He could feel Omera’s gaze burning the back of his head as he watched, which would make him focus even harder on the targets; until his glances lingered away. 

Omera cleared her throat and nudged him. “Should we line up?”

He nodded. “First, find your dominant eye,” he ordered, after they all found spots in front of targets, “make a triangle with your hands and focus it on the object in front of you. Close your left eye and then your right. Whichever eye still sees the target in the center of the triangle is your dominant eye.” He briefly waited a few seconds, allowing the villagers to figure it out. “Now, that is the eye you will aim out of.”

He watched as the villagers pulled up their weapons. He walked behind each of them, fixing their footing as he went. “If you’re not braced and your weapon has a kick, it’ll knock you on your ass faster than Nell over there,” he coldly stated.

They all braced their stance. “Aim,” he ordered, “Fire.”

Everyone shot and missed their targets, except Omera. Din turned and nodded at her out of respect. Again, her skill didn’t surprise him, considering who her niece was. He turned his attention back to the rest of the villagers. “Keep both eyes open when you aim, and make sure the sight covers the target before you shoot. Aim.” They pulled their weapons up again. “Fire.”

This time a few more hit the targets, but not many. At least there’s improvement, he thought. After several minutes, he found some glass bottles and lined them up on the fence posts. “If we can take out the raiders from a distance, it’ll be better for us,” he said, “so, it’s time to practice on smaller targets.”

Just as he said that, a shot whizzed past his head and exploded the farthest bottle from him. He spun around with his blaster drawn, ready to fight, when he saw Nella holding her blaster in his direction. He looked back at the vacant spot and then at her again. “Nice shot,” he complimented.

“What are you talking about?” she coyishly grinned, “I missed.”

Din felt his throat and chest tighten as he watched her walk back over to Cara and the rest of the villagers they were training. He was frozen in place until he heard Omera clear her throat; it was then that he released the breath he was holding. Fuck. “Right, where were we?” he asked, trying to force his attention back on his task.

***

Nella crouched next to her aunt while they waited for Mando and Cara to return from their operation. It was killing her to be in the middle of a fight and not wearing her suit. She felt naked without it, but she knew it would blow her cover if she did. “Where the fuck are they?” she mumbled.

Omera looked at her, surprised to hear such language come out of her niece. “They’ll be here,” she replied.

“They’re five minutes behind schedule,” she growled. 

She laughed. “They’ll be here.”

With that, she saw two figures moving swiftly towards them. Nella drew her weapon and focused in with her sights. She saw the shining beskar in the moonlight, and instantly lowered her weapon. She gave the signal for everyone to be ready as Mando and Cara slid into position in front of them. “Weapons ready!” Cara exclaimed.

Nella rolled her eyes and shook her head. “So much for the element of surprise,” she grumbled.

Omera laughed. “Well, if you know what to do, why didn’t you take charge?”

She glared at her aunt over her shoulder. They all stop and shudder when they see the AT-ST break through the treeline and stop. Nella gave the signal for a few men to flank out and cover the sides, where the Klatooinians might attack. She slid through the barriers they built, ready to lead their retaliation, but staying out of the sight of the AT-ST. The machine continued to creep forward, but it stopped at the edge of the bank. Shit. “We need that thing to move forward,” she mouthed to Omera. 

The machine turned on a blinding light, shining throughout the encampment. “Get down!” Mando shouted in a forceful whisper. 

The light froze on Nella’s position, and she could feel it. She was done for. The AT-ST opened fire, striking the huts behind their reinforcements. “Hold your positions!” she shouted.

The AT-ST continued firing as Klatooinians ran out from behind it, attacking the village. Nella took a deep breath and ran forward, leading the charge, and he was watching her. She was no longer armed with her stick from earlier, but a heavy sniper rifle that looked eerily similar to his. The biggest different he could tell was that it wasn’t double pronged, but instead a single bayonet at the end. “Cara,” he elbowed her.

“I know, we need that hunk of junk to step forward,” she growled.

He shook his head. Focus on the battle first, and then deal with Jissard later. However, he couldn’t stop watching her. She was fluid, flawless, and in her element. Nella charged first into the crowd taking a shot at the first raider she saw before flipping one over her shoulder. Din was more than impressed the way he watched her use her rifle as an extension of her body and moved with such a lethal grace that he was suddenly intimidated by her. If she wanted, she could easily kill him. He continued to observe as she was locked in combat with a raider. She slung her rifle onto her back, as she used her opponent’s leg to hoist herself up - tossing her leg behind his neck, and shooting him in the head with her blaster. He’d seen that move before, but he couldn’t place where. He was too enamored with her movements to really care.

Cara elbowed him. “Give me the pulse rifle,” she said, bringing him back into the moment.

He nods and hands her the rifle. “I’ll cover…”

They both stopped when they saw Nella heading straight for the AT-ST. “Cover her,” he barked, moving to have a better shot at the Klatooinians. 

When the first shot buzzed past her, she turned and saw Mando aiming at the raider’s behind her. She smiled and nodded, before continuing towards the looming siege engine. It had yet to spot her running full speed towards it, as it focused on Cara Dune shooting at it from below with the pulse rifle. She slid under a raider’s attempt to strike her, and she fired a shot at him as she turned around. Nella was soon back up on her feet. She grabbed charges from her belt and planted them on the AT-ST. She hoped the explosion would be enough to push the machine forward into the moat they’d dug. 

A Klatooinian approached her, preventing her from getting out of dodge for when the charges went off. “Cara,” Din exclaimed, “take him out. I don’t have a clear shot. She needs to get out of there.”

“Neither do I!”

Fuck. He sprinted in her direction, knowing he only had about twenty more seconds to get to her. As he ran, he was shooting at her assailant before tackling her to the ground as the charge went off. He used his body to cover her from the blast and the bits of metal that went flying as the charge took out one of the AT-ST’s legs, propelling it forward into the moat. The second the Klatooinians saw their engine fall, the immediately retreated back into the forest, bringing about a round of cheers from the villagers for successfully defending their home. 

Nella glared up into the visor that was currently crushing her. His body was pressed into hers, and though it had been a while since she’d been with anyone, she was more annoyed at being compressed into the ground. “I had it,” she glared.

“It sure looked like you did,” he replied dryly. 

“I would have.”

“How about just say thank you?” He chuckled.

She tried to push him off her. “For what? Crushing me?”

Din rested on his hands for a second, lifting off her just a little. “Or saving your life.”

She rolled her eyes and used the space between them to her advantage. She swept her leg and arm across him, flipping him off her and pinning him to the ground. “Thanks for getting in my way,” she grinned.

He stopped breathing as he gazed up at her, loose strands of hair fall around her face that was glistening in sweat. His hand, almost as if it had a mind of its own, rested on her thighs. Her eyes widened as she glanced down at his hands before looking back at him. “Nella!” She heard her aunt shout from behind her. Instantly, she separated herself from her bounty and turned to look at her.

“Any casualties?” she asked, nonchalantly, ignoring the Mandalorian behind her slowly getting off the ground.

Omera shook her head and looked between the two of them. “I saw the explosion, and just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Nella curtly nodded. “I was able to get out of the way,” she replied before making her way towards the village. 

She felt her breathing catch up to her as she stormed away, trying to focus on her mission now that the fighting was over. How the fuck am I going to get him and the kid back to his ship? She cursed herself for allowing so many distractions, but now she could focus. She snuck back into her aunt’s hut to send another transmission to Karga, but she couldn’t get through. Shit. She just knew that The Client had given up on her. She took too long, and now she was no longer the only one on the case.

***

She woke up the next morning with her hand on her blaster under her pillow. She heard a commotion outside, so she jumped out of bed with it in her hand. She snuck to the door, and saw Mando, Cara, and Omera standing just outside in conversation. “You know, we raised some hell here a few weeks back. It’s too much action for a backwater town like this. Word travels fast. You might wanna cycle the charts and move on,” he said, nodding to Cara. She watched as he turned his attention back to the kids playing with The Child. “I’m leaving him here. Travelling with me…that’s no life for a kid. I did my job, he’s safe. Better chance at a life.”

Omera glanced at the window and grinned when she saw Nella peeking through. “It’s going to break his heart,” Cara added.

“He’ll get over it. We all do.”

Nella realized that meant. The Child was going to be left here, defenseless. Now would be her chance to take the kid and collect the bounty. She’d miss an opportunity to collect on Mando, but she could circle back around and go after him once The Child was taken care of. She put the blaster on her hip and stepped outside. 

Din straightened his posture and gazed at her through the visor. Nella acted like she hadn’t noticed and split her attention between Omera and Cara. “So, you’re leaving?”

Cara shrugged. “I’ll probably head back to the town he found me in,” she replied, “it’s far enough away from here that no one will come looking.”

Din cleared his throat, but she continued to ignore him. “It’s probably for the best.”

“Jissard,” he ordered, “can I have a word?”

Nella rolled her eyes and followed him away from the pair. She followed him for a bit, to the spot where they’d sparred a few days prior. “Oh, you really want a rematch?” she laughed as she crossed her arms across her chest.

She heard him let out a long sigh through his modulator before turning to face her. “Look, it’s no secret you don’t belong here,” he began, taking a step closer to her. 

Nella stood a little taller. “Yeah?”

He nodded. “I wanted to give you a choice.”

“A choice…” she echoed, waiting for him to finish. 

“I could use someone like you on my ship. I could train you as a Bounty Hunter, and we could split the bounties.” She tried to hold back a laugh at the irony of the situation; she bit her bottom lip and grinned, so she could let him finish. “But if you wanted to stay, then I was wondering if you could watch after the kid.”

This couldn’t get more perfect. She thought to herself. He’s giving me the kid on a silver platter. “Why me?”

“You’re more than capable to handle yourself, and I know that if there’s trouble…” he trailed off.

There was a shot from behind them that echoed through the area. Din jumped, and protectively pushed Nella behind him. “You and Omera go get the kids,” he ordered as he ran in the direction of the shot. 

Nella stood there for a second trying to absorb what happened. She found it odd how protective of her he’d become in the last few times they’d been in any sort of danger. She decided to shake it off and find the kids. She’d follow his orders for the few more hours he’d be on Sorgan, and then The Child was her’s for the taking. Omera had the kid in her arms while Winta hid behind her and the other kids clinging to their parents. Nella held our her arms for the kid, to which Omera obliged. He cooed in her arms and gazed up at her with his big round eyes. He was a sweet kid, and Nella had never seen anything more adorable. He smiled up at her and moved his head to one side like he was studying her. She had no idea why The Client wanted the kid, and she didn’t really want to find out. They were paying her enough to keep her from asking too many questions.

Cara and Mando were walking towards them at a brisk pace, with him about five steps ahead of her. He stopped just in front of Nella and grabbed the kid. “We’re leaving,” he said, handing her a busted fob, “this is a tracking fob. They were after the kid.”

Nella felt her blood run cold. The Client had given up on her and hired others instead. Competition. She remained stoic as she watched Mando’s demeanor change to the harsh, cold, and calculating man she’d known about for years. The kid fidgeted and fought to get out of his arms, and so, slowly he set the child on the ground. They watched as he waddled his way back to Nella and hugged her leg as he looked up at her with those big eyes again. She felt her heart wrench. If only he knew not to trust her. Din looked down at the kid and then back up at her. If they were being hunted, he was going to need all the help he could get. “The offer still stands,” he said.

Suddenly, she felt a huge weight crush her. Guilt. She knew she wouldn’t feel guilty about tricking the Mandalorian, but the kid? He was so innocent in all of this, and she felt terrible. Nella knew if she stayed here, it would only be a matter of time before The Client sent someone after her, wanting his money back. “You want me to go with you,” she said more as a question and less as an observation.

He nodded. “Like I said, I could use your help. I could train you as a bounty hunter.” He glanced over to Omera, who was grinning at them. “Your aunt said you were looking for work, so I figured I’d offer.”

Nella glanced back to Omera and then to the Mandalorian. “Fine, but I don’t work for you. I work with you.”

He held out his hand for her to shake. “That’s fine with me.”

She grabbed his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “Give me a few minutes to grab my things.” Nella spun on her heel and briskly walked back to the house to grab her bag and suit.

“You trust her?” Cara said, as she leaned all the weight on one foot and glared in the direction she’d left.

He shrugged and sighed. “She’s former Rebel Alliance. She’s not going to work for Imps; they’d kill her the second they realized who she is.”

Slowly, Cara nodded her head. “I don’t know. I feel like she’s hiding a lot.”

“Who isn’t?” he replied, bending over to pick up the kid. “Look, if she’s not who I think she is, I’ll handle it.”

Cara laughed at him and glanced back in his direction. “Oh, like you did the other day?”

She couldn’t see through his visor that he was glaring at her. Yes, Nella kicked his ass the other day, but they also weren’t trying to kill each other. If it came down to it, he would eliminate her before she even got the chance to harm the kid. “I’ll handle it, but I don’t think she’s going to be an issue. And, with more people coming after us, I’ll need an extra set of hands.”

“Just watch your back, Tin Can.”

He huffed and walked towards the barn to pack their things. He saw Nella making her way to him with a bag slung behind her back and her rifle in her hand. Din couldn’t help but be hypnotized by the way she confidently strode toward him. She took in every surrounding, surveyed the area as she walked. Always on her guard and looking for the next fight. He saw what Omera saw, and he agreed. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she was raised by The Mandalorians.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nella and Din leave Sorgan and adjust to their new partnership. Nella needs to tackle the guilt she carries. Din tries his best to hide his feelings for the intriguing woman aboard the Razor Crest. Both of them realize they are more alike than they previously thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Slight Angst, Mention of Light Violence

He watched her sleep on the Speeder as they made their way back to the ship. She kept a hand on her rifle and another on the blaster in her holster. He smiled and stifled a chuckle. She was by far the least defenseless woman he’d ever met, and that included when she was peacefully asleep. He watched as the kid waddled over to her and leaned against her. He cocked his head at the pair of them before taking a deep breath, tossing his arms over the sides to relax himself. “Am I really that entertaining while I sleep?” she said, looking over at him with her hands still on her weapons. **  
**

He laughed and glanced at her through his visor. “Just observing,” he replied, “do you always sleep armed?”

“Since I was eleven,” she added, giving him a small grin.

Din nodded at her and then turned his attention to the kid. “He seems to like you,” he noted, “faster than he took to Cara.”

Nella looked down at the child next to her and smiled. He’d fallen asleep with his head resting on her leg. She reached down and slowly picked him up, cradling him in her arms. “How did you…” she trailed off and looked up at Mando, who was vigilantly watching her.

He straightened his posture and sighed. “He was a bounty of mine that I saved from some Imps.”

“What do the Imps want with him?” she asked, as she was genuinely curious. The Client had neglected to elaborate on the importance of this child. 

Mando shrugged. “They were running all sorts of tests on him when I went back for him.”

She glanced back down to the small, green child asleep in her arms. The Client had been adamant that the child is returned to them promptly. He was so small, so helpless and innocent. Each time he’d looked up at her with his big eyes, she understood the Mandalorian’s motives for protecting him. She looked back up at Mando, who still had his visor trained on her. She watched him shift as he pulled his rifle across his lap. “Are you always armed?”

“Since I was eleven,” he said, with a smile he wished she could see.

Nella grinned and shook her head, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. The speeder slowed as it approached the Razor Crest. Mando hopped off grabbing a few of the boxes off the back. She slid off with the kid in her arms and turned to grab her bags. Mando reached forward, but she grabbed his wrist to stop him. “No,” she said sternly.

“I don’t mind,” he said. 

“I do.”

Din watched her throw her bags over her left shoulder while she cradled the kid in her right arm. He noticed the one was extremely bulky and rattled as she walked towards the ship. He rushed over to open the door for her. “His pram is up in the cockpit,” he said.

She ignored him and climbed the ladder, bags in tow, to put the sleeping child down. He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He shook his head and finished grabbing his gear off the back of the speeder before it drove away. Nella climbed back down with her bags. She stood at the top of the ramp, leaning against the frame. “Where are my quarters?”

Din froze and he glanced up at her. That was one thing he hadn’t considered. “I…um…”

She tossed her bag on the floor and laughed as she walked toward him. “Easy there, Mando,” she chuckled, “I’ll make a pallet down here in storage.”

Nella grabbed two crates and began loading them onto the ship. He looked down at the remaining crates and back up at her. Din sighed and grabbed a couple of crates, following her to the cargo hold. “You can sleep in my quarters,” he breathed.

She turned and glanced at him with an eyebrow raised. “Oh really?”

He stood up abruptly and cleared his throat. “What I meant was…”

Nella chuckled. “It’s endearing how easily flustered you get. I know what you meant, and no. I’ll be fine here.”

“I’m not flustered,” he defended, suddenly aware of his heart racing, “at least stay in my quarters until we can get a cot or something for you. I can sleep out here or in the cockpit”

She chuckled and shook her head as she moved her bags near his weapons storage. “Besides, the kid sleeps over there.” He pointed at the little cubby between the weapons storage and another shelf. Mando had made a little sleeping area that was the perfect size for the kid.

“Well, you asked me to help, so it’ll be perfect for me to sleep here near him.”

He didn’t bother to argue as he finished loading the cargo back onto his ship. Once they both made sure everything was secured, they climbed the ladder. Nella found the empty co-pilot chair and strapped herself in as Din began his pre-flight routine. The child was still asleep. “Where are we headed?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure yet. Somewhere quiet.”

“Something tells me that noise tends to follow you,” Nella chided. 

He turned and looked at her with a slight nod. She could almost feel the smile through his helmet. She turned to look at the kid, peacefully asleep in his pram, as Mando slowly turned back and continued with his pre-flight routine. She heard the engines warm up as the cockpit lit up with the various lights from the panels. The Razor Crest was an old ship, and it took a few minutes for it to really warm up. Nella felt it surge and leave the ground as the landing gear slowly retracted back into the hull. 

Her heart started racing as she realized there was no turning back now. She was stuck with The Mandalorian until she was able to either convince him to go to Nevarro or overpower him. Nella glanced around the ship, trying to think of a plan that would end it now. She could knock him out and use his cuffs to hold him; then she could take control of the Crest and fly directly to the Imp. There was nothing in the area that would be sufficient in knocking him out cold; not with the beskar helmet. _Fuck_ , she thought to herself. If she wanted to overpower him, she was going to have to wait until they landed somewhere. At least this time he wasn’t going to have Dune for backup. He was alone. So was she.

As soon as they were clear from the planet’s atmosphere, they jumped to hyperspace. Mando had punched in coordinates to a destination unknown. He then stood up and walked out of the cockpit without saying a word. She glanced over at the kid, again, who was still asleep. Nella determined he would be fine there and followed him out. She stood in the breezeway for a second trying to determine his location, when she heard him below. Nella panicked for a second, remembering her bags were down there. She quickly slid down the ladder and landed just next to him, ready to fight. 

He turned and held his hands up. “I learned the first time, not to touch your stuff,” he said.

Nella glared at him and looked around. He was unpacking his own equipment and placing his weapons back into storage. She marveled at the arsenal he had stored away, and he couldn’t help but notice the gleam in her eyes as she stared at the mass amount of weapons in wonder. “You might be shit in hand to hand,” she chided, “but I don’t think I’m going to go against you when it comes to artillery.”

He let out a low chuckle. “You caught me off guard,” he replied, “otherwise you’d be the one on the ground.” She smiled at him, and for a second he felt a tightness in his chest. “Besides, you are a helluva shot.”

Nella froze and glared at him. “If complimenting me is your weak way of getting me to trust you, it’s not going to work.”

“I know,” he said, turning back to a crate he had been unpacking before she interrupted, “I doubt you’ll ever trust anyone again.”

She folded her arms and leaned against the open door to the weapons’ storage unit waiting for him to elaborate.

“Your family was murdered, and I doubt you ever really asked why or who ratted your family out. On top of that, you’ve been jaded for most of your life, or at least I’m assuming - gathering from the way you guard your bags and answers to any questions.”

She narrowed her gaze at him, hating how on the nose he was about her.

“Don’t act so surprised,” he chuckled, looking over his shoulder at her, “you have the same look I do all the time. All I’m saying is, I get it.”

Nella grabbed her bag from the floor and propped it against the wall opposite to the weapons. She pulled out two blankets from a crate he’d shoved toward her and made a small pallet on the floor in front of the kid’s “room”. “I said you could have my…”

“No. I’d rather sleep here,” she said coldly.

He smiled at her again as he watched her make a comfortable place on the floor. “Jissard,” he softly said, moving closer to her.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “What?”

He softened his stance. He saw that young girl he saw in the cantina all those years ago. He wasn’t much older than she was at the time. Out of everyone, he knew what it felt like to have your whole world ripped away from you in a single instant. _Especially_ at a young age. It changes a person, leaving them guarded and cold. Alone. Din hadn’t realized how long he was staring at her until she cleared her throat and spun to look at him, crossing her arms. “What?”

He shook his head. “Glad to have you on board,” he mumbled.

He ascended the ladder, leaving her alone to get settled. Nella watched him, waiting for several minutes to see if he’d return. Much to her relief he’d gone back into the cockpit. She pulled out her comm, hoping there was a message from Greef. Nothing. Not a damn thing. _Fuck_ , she thought to herself. It’d been a couple of days since she last sent an update. The Imp had already hired someone else to do her job. She was completely fucked, and this would completely ruin her reputation with the Guild and other high profile potential clients. 

Nella tucked her comm back away and stretched out on the palette on the floor. She looked up at the ceiling and rested her hands behind her head as she thought of a way to quickly get Mando and the kid back to Nevarro. He has to take that helmet off when he sleeps. _I can knock him over the head then, and then cuff him._ She shook her head and knew that wouldn’t work. _The only way I’m going to get him back there is if I make him come up with the idea._

She sighed and shook her head. “Why did I take this fucking job?” she said just under her breath.

“Because you couldn’t stay in one place much longer,” Mando said as he ascended from above with the kid in his arms. 

She sat up and glared at him, startled. He huffed and opened the little cubby that he’d fixed up for the kid’s bed. Nella watched as he gently laid the kid down and tucked him into bed, making sure he had plenty of blankets and was comfortable before turning to look at her. He didn’t say anything as he looked at her a second longer before ascending the ladder again. She shook her head and sighed before getting comfortable again. There was nothing she could do now, and she was exhausted. When her head hit the pillow, her eyes instantly closed and she drifted off into her normal, semi-alert sleep.

Din checked the coordinates again and made sure that everything was running smoothly before going below and getting some rest. He stood above the opening and listened. He didn’t hear anything and figured she was asleep, so he slowly and quietly made his way down the ladder. He froze as the sight before him warmed a part of him that he thought had been dead for years. The kid had crawled out of his bed and was clinging to Nella’s side as she slept. It was like someone had reached into his chest and was squeezing his heart. Before meeting the kid, he hadn’t felt much. He’d been annoyed when a bounty wouldn’t cooperate, angry that he wasn’t paid what he was promised, but never a positive emotion. He didn’t have time. Now, he felt himself softening for the little green womp rat, even for the woman he barely knew. 

He softly stepped around them and opened the door to his small, cramped quarters. He felt guilty sleeping in the one comfortable place on the ship, but Nella insisted. He knew he was going to need help, but he didn’t even think about the lack of space on the ship. As he sat on the edge of his bed, looking at the wall in the dimly lit room, he made a mental note to pick up a bed for her, and maybe find a mechanic that could build a small partition to give her some privacy.

Nella woke up with a start as she heard the alarm above her going off. She gently moved the kid back to his bed and rushed to the monitor next to the cargo door. She pulled up the ship’s schematics as she looked for the problem. There it was. Hyperdrive Motivator. It was overheating and losing power. The easiest way to access this was through the generators on the second floor. Nella sighed and looked for tools to help her. While she moved boxes around, she heard Mando rapidly approaching her. “What’s wrong?”

“The Hyperdrive is malfunctioning. Where are your tools?”

He pointed to a small box on a shelf. She grabbed that and climbed the ladder, to which he dutifully followed. The door slid open as she walked into a small storage area before walking into the generator room. The mechanical humming filled the air and helped her ignore the fact that Mando was hovering over her. She mumbled to herself about how this wouldn’t have happened if he had droids on the ship. She figured he didn’t trust them, and she didn’t blame him. She didn’t have much use for droids either, but they would have benefitted from one right now. 

Nella crouched down and popped open a panel and went directly to work. Din watched her as she worked diligently reaching for tools, burying her arms elbow deep in the ship until she was able to fix whatever the problem was. Soon, the alarm ceased and the ship continued on its course. “I basically put a band-aid over our problem. We will need to land somewhere for a few parts,” she said as she stood, covered in grime. 

He was closer to her than she was expecting when she glanced up at him. “You’re a mechanic too?”

Nella shrugged and tossed the screwdriver back into the toolbox. “Amateur. I had to make money hopping from ship to ship somehow.”

A small grin crept across his face as he peered at her through his visor. She continued to surprise him every moment they were together. “How long will the fix last?”

“A few parsecs, but not long. Just don’t get into a firefight and expect a quick getaway.” She grabbed the hem of her shirt to wipe the sweat off her forehead, revealing her bare stomach. Din noted a deep scar that ran along the bottom of her left ribs almost down to her hip bone. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed her, resting his thumb on the scar. Nella froze. It was an odd sensation, his leather glove on her warm flesh. “Umm,” she began, “what are you doing?”

“Looks like a nasty scar,” he said, as he looked at it, “a deep knife wound?”

“Among several,” she said, “I got that one on Ryloth a few years back.” Nella lifted her shirt just a little higher to reveal a scar at the top of her ribcage on her right side. Din’s heart stopped as he looked at the whelped skin he longed to touch, but this one was too close to an intimate part of her. “This one I got by helping my smuggler friend, Shan, on a job.”

She let her shirt drape back over her as she took a step back from her target. “The rest, you’ll have to just imagine,” she coyishly smiled.

He drew in a sharp breath and coughed. “I…I think I should locate the closest system,” he mumbled. Nella laughed at him as he turned on his heel and marched to the cockpit, where she followed. “It looks like the closest planet is Tatooine,” he sighed. Din turned to look at her to gauge her reaction.

Her face said it all. The awkward, but pleasant moment was gone. The memories of that planet alone haunted her enough for a lifetime. She hadn’t been back since. This place took her family, took Boba, took everything from her. She shook her head and gazed at him through her misty eyes. “If that’s the closest, then we need to get there ASAP. I can’t do proper repairs without specific parts.”

“Nell,” he softly said, watching her quickly wipe her eyes. He didn’t know what to say, It was the closest place to land, and they needed to make repairs. The Outer Rim was a dangerous place to get caught in without a hyperdrive, but he didn’t want her to return to the place where her family was murdered. “Would we make it to Naboo?”

She stiffly chuckled and looked over at him. “Do you want us to get arrested? Tatooine is our best chance. I’ll be fine.” 

Nella picked up the toolbox and left the cockpit, swiftly moving down the ladder away from the situation. She placed the kit where it belonged before sitting at a small table. She leaned back against the wall and pulled her comm link out of her pocket, opening the file that contained the one family picture she had. She was only eight in the photo, but it was the only one she had of everyone together. Val had her in his arms as she rested her head on his shoulder. Alara stood in front of their mother, and Kiara was between the two of them. They were smiling, happier than ever. That was in the beginning of their fight against the Empire.

Ever since she’d left with Boba, she felt like she let her family down. She’d never found the mercs that killed them or even the person who ordered the hit. And, after the Empire fell, she knew she’d never find them. The guilt ate at her ever since she signed on to take a job from an Imperial Warlord. She was betraying her entire family and everything they believed in for credits. _Credits that will set me up for life,_ she thought, _I could retire and leave Nevarro._ She thought of the Child, sweet and innocent. She was only a child when her life was turned upside down. That was, until Boba saved her.

> _“Okay, Nella,” Boba said, “we do have to kill you, but not in the sense you think. We just need everyone to think you died when your family did, and then you’ll be a little enigma to everyone that meets you.”_

She could do the same. She could call in that The Child was killed in the crosshairs, bring Mando in, and collect on that bounty. She could take the kid back to Sorgan and hide him away. If everyone believed he was dead, no one would come looking for him. Mando’s bounty would be enough to help her leave Nevarro for good and retire like she wanted. She could set up a mechanic shop somewhere, but she’d be comfortable on his bounty. Yes. That’s what she would do. She’d do right by her parents and spare the kid. Mando broke the code and should be brought to justice. She’d take The Client the Mandalorian’s helmet as proof of his death and lie about the kid. _I just need to find a way to get him to trust me,_ she thought, _and then I can catch him off guard._

Nella turned and saw Mando leaning against the ladder watching her. “What?” she snapped. He took the seat across from her and slid her a cup full of something. “What’s this?”

“Spotchka,” he said, “Your aunt’s village loaded some onto the speeder for our journey.”

“And I’m expected to drink alone?” She laughed, watching him stare at her. “Oh, right. I forgot, you never remove your helmet.”

“This is the way.”

She took a drink and motioned for him to refill her cup. “You’re the _only_ Mandalorian I know that’s like that.”

He crossed his arms and stared at her. “Then, they’re not true Mandalorians.”

She laughed. “They’d beg to differ.”

“How…?” He trailed off.

She finished her second cup and set it down. “I was saved from Jawas and Mercs by a Mandalorian. He taught me everything I know. Besides, I met a few during the Rebellion. My father helped them.”

He smiled under the beskar. He was right, she was raised by Mandalorians. “So, you’re a foundling?”

Nella laughed and poured herself another drink. “I wouldn’t go that far. My…mentor,” she paused and took a swig, “he taught me in all the different ways of Mandalore. When he died, I went my own way. He was my family, not The Mandalorians.”

Din nodded at her. “I can respect that.”

She watched him relax a little, and she smiled behind her cup. He felt comfortable around “one of his own” which meant she was gaining his trust. She took a deep breath and leaned her head against the wall. 

“How long has it been?” he asked, breaking the silence.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, sadness welling at the rim. “It’s been almost ten years since I’ve been back to Tatooine.”

She ran her hand through her hair, causing it to fall around her face. Din felt his chest tighten again as he imagined the last time he saw that. He was pinned under her, his hands resting on her thighs… She startled when Mando abruptly stood and walked to his chambers. Nella frowned, noting his sudden change in demeanor as he stormed away without a word. “Mando,” she called after him. 

He paused, but didn’t turn to look at her. “Get some rest,” he ordered, his voice just a little raspier than usual, “We should be there in a few hours.”

“Do you have somewhere I can clean up? I’m covered in grease.”

Din felt a lump form in his throat and he froze. He hadn’t been around a woman in a _long_ time. So, the idea of one in the next room, letting the water run down her bare flesh wasn’t really helping his current situation. “There’s a shower in there,” he rasped as he motioned to the small bathroom next to his quarters.

Nella grinned. He was just as flustered as when they left. She closed the gap between them and let her hand rest on his shoulder. She whispered close to his helmet, sending chills down his spine, “How long has it been?” She felt him tense under her touch. “Don’t worry, I’ll hurry. Wouldn’t want you to combust.”

His breathing was uneven, and she was so happy he couldn’t see her grin even wider. “Take your time,” he replied, and quickly followed up with, “Don’t rush on my account.”

If she couldn’t get him to trust her, she could just keep him flustered long enough to carry out some sort of plan to turn him in. “Good, because it’s been a while since I’ve had a nice warm shower.” She moved toward the small room and stopped. “Do you have a towel or am I expected to air dry?”

He stiffly grabbed a towel off the ledge between them and tossed it to her. “Anything else?”

“Yes,” she breathed, forcing him to look at her, “Relax, uj’ika, you’re stressing me out.”

He was taken aback by her use of Mando’a but nodded as he turned to return to his quarters. She laughed and shook her head as she hopped in the shower. Din looked down at his foot when he felt a tug. The kid was awake and staring up at him. “I know _you_ like her, traitor,” he mumbled as he picked him up and put him back in his little bunk.

The kid cooed again. 

“She’s not getting to me,” Din continued to lie to himself. She was getting to him. It’d been a while since he was able to connect with someone; someone he felt understood him, even if she was completely unaware of it. He ran his hand down his left rib and stopped when he got to his own scar just below. It was significantly smaller than hers, but nevertheless another similarity they had. 

He glanced at the door she’d shut behind her, imagining the water run down and around her as she relaxed against the warmth of it just on the other side. Din felt knots form in the pit of his stomach, a sensation he was unaccustomed to. He only felt it when she was near. He’d asked her to come with him on impulse. He was so captivated by her on Sorgan, that leaving was harder than he expected. Now, he realized having her with him was stirring something in him that he wished he could ignore. In an effort to distract himself, he walked to his weapons storage and grabbed his blaster. Din sat at the table and began taking it apart to clean it. Something this mundane would easily take his mind off _her_ , and it worked, until he heard the shower turn off.

He was intently cleaning the barrel, trying to ignore the idea of her stepping out from the shower refreshed. He heard the door slide open, but he kept his attention on the blaster. He didn’t see her drying her hair with a towel while she watched him, but he could feel her eyes trained on him. Nella watched him meticulously work as the guilt of her mission washed over her. She wasn’t any better than Mando if she killed him and hid the kid. That was also breaking the code. _He also killed several guild members_ , she tried to justify to herself.

Nella finished drying her hair and hung the towel on a hook inside the bathroom before joining him again at the table. He was attempting to slide the barrel back into place when he noticed the loose, button down shirt she was wearing, that was only half-way buttoned - leaving a deep v-neck line. He prayed she couldn’t tell he was gazing, but knew it was hopeless when he dropped the spring he needed, sending it flying across the table in her direction. “Not good with your hands, are you?” she laughed, handing him the screw.

“Well…I…”

“Relax, I’m kidding,” she said, pouring another glass of Spotchka, “do you need any help?”

He didn’t say anything as he intensely focused on assembling his blaster again. Nella rolled her eyes and stretched before pulling her hair into a bun. “If you don’t need me, I’m going to bed.”

“Jatne ca,” he said, as he watched her crawl into the pallet she made on the floor.

“Jatne ca, or’dinii,” she smiled at him as she pulled her blanket up to her chin.

He stored his blaster and laughed at her calling him an idiot. She was right. Since their intimate conversation in the engine room, he’d been acting like a fool. He climbed into his bed as he mentally kicked himself for allowing such a distraction on his ship when he needed to be more focused and vigilant than ever.

**Translations**

  * _uj’ika - cupcake_
  * _Jatne ca - Good night_
  * _or’dinii - fool/idiot_




	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nella has to deal with the memories of being back on Tatooine while Din wrestles with his own emotions. An old friend recognizes Nella and threatens to compromise her mission. Nella thinks she finally has a plan to collect on the bounty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Slight Angst, Violence

The alarms sounded again, except this time, it wasn’t for engine failure. “Fuck,” he said, jumping out of bed, “get the kid.”

Nella, who was up just as fast, obeyed his orders and grabbed the kid, securing him in his pram as soon as she walked into the cockpit. She didn’t sit down soon enough for his liking, as he reached for her and forced her into the co-pilot chair. “Buckle up,” he growled. 

She raised an eyebrow at him, chills where his hands grabbed her. His hands. That was the third time he’d put his hands on her. Each time she felt a shock through her system. He was gentle, but firm with her. She stopped her fantasizing when she noticed she was biting her bottom lip a little too hard.

“Hand over the Child, Mando,” a cold voice came through the ship’s comms, “I might let you live.”

The ship shook as she took on damage. Alarms were going off, and Nella wanted to run and check, but she knew that he’d growl at her again. She knew one of the engines had been hit.

“Hold on,” Mando said as he struggled to steer the Crest away from their attacker. “Come on!”

“I can bring you in warm…” the hunter said, “or I can bring you in cold.”

He hit the brakes hard, and the fighter overshot them. Din grinned to himself as the fighter ended up in his crosshairs. “That’s my line,” he said, dropping his voice an octave lower. He sent all the fire power the Crest had left into their assailant.

The second they were clear, Nella jumped out of her seat and rushed to the engine room. It was unbearably hot in there, but she suffered through it as she pulled up the ship’s schematics. Mando stood across from her in the doorway waiting for her prognosis. “We’re losing fuel fast. An engine was hit and took on a bunch of damage. We need to land sooner rather than later. Oh,” she paused and looked at him, “that band-aid I put on was shot to shit. Literally.”

He nodded and returned to the cockpit. Din let out an irritated groan as he flipped a few switches, trying to relieve some of the pressure on the ship and save them fuel. The Razor Crest limped the rest of its way to Tatooine. They sat in awkward silence while he busied himself with monitoring the gauges that weren’t working. Nella watched him, trying to distract herself from the on-coming panic attack. Every minute they flew closer to the planet, the tighter her chest got. The forty-five minutes it took to enter the atmosphere felt like hours to Nella. She dreaded the minute they landed. This planet was the last place she wanted to be. She walked back to her things to dress more than just a shirt and some pants. The ship was silent, and Din thought he could hear her crying below, trying to calm herself. He closed his eyes and dropped his head, feeling like shit for bringing her back here. Several minutes passed before she returned. “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

“Nell,” he comforted.

She attempted a fake smile at him. “Again with the nickname?”

He laughed at her. “I live to irritate you.” It was honestly the first time in a long time he cracked a joke, but it felt good; especially when it brought that smile across her face. 

“This is Mos Eisley Tower. We are tracking you,” another voice said through the comms. “Head for bay three-five. Over.”

“Copy that,” he turned and looked at Nella. She was looking out the window, pain and anguish all over her face. His heart ached for her. He could feel her pain, but they needed to land and repair the ship. “Locked in for three-five.”

Slowly, he brought the ship into the bay and landed with a hard thud. Mando grabbed the kid and walked down to the lower level, locking the kid safely away in his quarters. Nella had yet to move from her seat in the cock-pit. He glanced up the ladder waiting for her to move. When she didn’t, he joined her again and sat in the pilot’s seat to be on her level. “Just tell me the parts we need, and I can get them for you. You don’t have to leave the ship,” he softly said through his helmet.

She looked away from him and wiped her eyes. “No,” she breathed, “I’m coming.”

“Nell,” he said, grabbed her hand.

She turned her gaze back to him. She wanted to grin at him and give him shit for using a nickname again, but she couldn’t. She was feeling too overwhelmed with anxiety and grief to do so. “I’ll be fine.” 

Slowly, Nella stood and straightened her shirt - more like fidgeting with it to distract herself. She led Mando through the ship and could feel his gaze on her as she moved. Pity. She hated when someone gazed at her with pity, and that’s exactly what she thought he was doing. This was why she isolated herself from other people. The second they knew she was a Jissard, they gazed at her with sorrow and pity: poor little orphan Rebel. 

She stood at the door, hesitant to open it. Din watched her, and moved in closer, resting his hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For the first time, she didn’t feel alone in her pain. His small gesture was more comforting and reassuring. Maybe he wasn’t pitying her. She had forgotten, in her grief, that he understood more than anyone what it was like to lose everything. Nella turned slowly and looked up at him with wet eyes. She knew she had a mission to do, but in this moment she appreciated the empathy. She gave him a small smile and he nodded at her. 

Din felt his heart start to race the longer he gazed at her. Since they met, he’d felt this pull towards her; like they were meant to cross paths. She was a distraction for him, but a welcomed one. He was pulled out of his trance when he heard, what he thought, were droids tinkering with his ship. He hit the release just behind Nella, dropping the bay door. As soon as the DUM droids were in his sight, he fired two warning shots at them. “Hey!” A short, curly haired woman exclaimed, “Hey! You damage one of my droids, you pay for it.”

He sighed and walked off the ship. “Just keep them away from my ship,” he replied.

Nella could feel the hot, dry Tatooinian air closing in around her, suffocating her. She felt her throat tighten, and she couldn’t catch her breath. She put her hand on her chest and tried to calm herself. She was furious for getting so worked up. Enigma’s training forgotten; right now she was that sixteen year old girl on Tatooine with her family. The more she beat herself up, the harder it was to breathe. The more she panicked.

 _Deep breath in._ She thought. 

_One_

_Two_

_Three_

_Four_

_Five_

_Deep breath out._

_Six_

_Seven_

_Eight_

_Nine_

_Ten_

She did this several more times, and slowly, she felt a calm wash over her. She turned to face the hellish desert before her and walked down the runway on weak legs. She saw Mando turn to look at her the second he heard her feet hit the rough metal. “I can pay for the parts,” he said, “we can take care of the labor.”

Peli laughed and looked at Nella. “She looks like she’s seen better days.”

Mando whipped his head around at her. “I’d watch what you say about her,” he growled, “now, will you get us the parts.”

“Alright, sorry! Parts and labor, or no deal.”

Nella was no longer invested in their haggling as she ventured out into the mostly deserted street. Mos Eisley hadn’t changed one bit since she was last there, except it was more empty. She made her way down the street, dragging her feet across the coarse sand. She let her feet lead her to the last place she wanted to be, but she felt she owed it to them. The cantina was mostly empty, save for a few of the locals, and none of them paid any attention to the poor rebel orphan looming in the doorway as the memories flooded back to her.

> _Val forced Nella and Alara into the back. “Stay here. Kiara is watching the side door while your mother and I meet with the contact. We want both of you out of danger,” he whispered as he kissed the tops of their heads. Nella and Alara were only a year apart, and too young to serve - according to their father. Whereas, Kiara was deemed old enough to make that decision at the ripe age of nineteen._

> _“I’m not afraid of danger,” Nella argued._

> _He chuckled. “I know, my Nell-bell, but I am. You and Alara need to watch after each other.”_

> _She pouted and huffed. Sixteen was old enough to serve. Even at seventeen, Alara was allowed on more missions than she was. Val quickly joined Mara at the table where their contact was supposed to meet them. Alara made her way to the edge of the storage room they were in. “‘Lara, we aren’t supposed to leave!”_

> _“Shh! I can’t hear what’s going on.”_

> _“‘Lara!”_

> _Alara snuck around the bar to get a closer look. Nella glared and debated on following her. She waited several minutes before making a decision. She froze in her steps when she heard a blaster shot ring through the cantina. “Val!” Omara shouted._

> _Nella ran out to help her family, and that’s when she saw eight mercs holding her family hostage. She growled and moved forward, but the Rebel Captain came up from behind her and stopped her. She fought against his arms, but he held her firm. That’s when she looked to her right and saw Kiara’s body in the doorway. The mercs killed her in cold blood with a blaster shot to the chest. Tears started to stream down her face. “We have to help them!” she cried._

> _The Imperial Mercs turned their attention to her, and that’s when they saw the Rebel Alliance fighters. They lunged forward and grabbed Alara and Omara, holding knives to their throats. Nella continued to kick and scream as blaster shots flew. Then, time froze. Two of the mercenaries ran their slick, steel blades across their throats. “Mother!” she screamed. She then saw another draw his weapon and fire at her father, hitting him in the chest. “No!”_

> _The Rebel Captain held her close to him as he made his way to an exit while his men drew their fire._

She was brought out of her trance when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Mando standing behind her again. She felt tears escape and roll down her cheeks. In a moment of overwhelming grief, Nella leaned her forehead on his breastplate as tears dripped off her cheeks. Right now, she was not the cold blooded killer that Boba trained her to be. She was the sixteen year old girl who had her family brutally ripped away from her. She was kicking herself for being so weak in front of her bounty, but her emotions overcame her as she stood in the very place her family was murdered.

Din froze, unsure of how to proceed. He enjoyed moments where he could be close to her, but not this time. Now when she was hurting. She was suffering from all the terrible memories she had from this place, and now, the hardened warrior he knew was suddenly vulnerable in front of him. He gently rested his hand on her back and sighed. “Do you want to sit? I can get you something…”

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I got it,” she replied as she turned for the bar to grab a drink.

He watched her move cautiously through the bar, staring at a corner booth. He remembered that day, watching the family before deciding against the bounty. They were sitting in that corner booth she stared at. He decided to grab a table on the opposite side of the cantina, as far away from the scene as he could get. She rested against the bar until the serving droid’s attention was on her. Din noticed four more people entered behind them: a young man who took up the corner booth in question, two young women who appeared to be locals, and another man who was clearly from out of town. He leaned against the counter near Nella, and Din felt his body tense. He situated himself in his seat as he watched, ready to spring into action the second this guy bothered her.

Nella was too distracted at first to notice the man leaning against the bar next to her, staring down at her with a smirk. Her eyes had finally dried as she waited for the droid to finish drying the same cup he’d been messing with when she’d first walked in. She turned to look back at Mando, and that’s when she noticed the annoying presence next to her. She sighed and looked up, freezing where she stood. Shan. _Thank god he’s never seen me out of my suit_ , she thought as she glared at him.

“What are you drinking?” he asked with his usual charming grin. 

Nella stifled an eye roll as she attempted to return the smile. “Spotchka,” she said.

He waved the droid down and held up two fingers. “You’re not from around here, are you?” he continued, leaning closer.

“Traveling and looking for work,” she sighed, taking a step back from him. She slid her hand down her thigh, slowly, looking for the sleek knife she’d kept in her pocket. And Din watched, tensing even more in his seat.

Shan frowned at her and cocked his head. “Your voice…” he trailed off.

Nella nervously laughed and shook her head. “Is this the start of some cheesy pickup line or something?”

His eyes narrowed. “Have we met?”

She felt a chill come over her. “Doubt it.”

Shan looked around the cantina, as if looking for a sign. He instantly stopped when he saw The Mandalorian sitting in a secluded booth. He turned back to Nella with wide eyes, and that’s when he felt the blade against his left kidney. “Easy,” he whispered, “I’m not going to say anything, E.”

Din stood, ready for a sign from her that she needed him. Nella’s glare hardened. “I’m not who you think I am.”

He gave her his devilish grin and leaned forward. “You’re not going to do anything to cause a scene or blow your cover in front of the Tin Can over there.” He rested his hand on her wrist and slowly lowered the weapon. 

She sheathed her weapon and crossed her arms as she stared at him.

“That’s a good girl,” he added, grabbing their drinks from the droid, “what happened to the job?”

She glared at him, refusing to answer. 

“Right. He’s too close for comfort to answer any personal questions.”

“Shan, I think you need to leave.”

He leaned closer, and Nella put her hand on his chest to stop him. Din, without missing a beat strode across the cantina to help her. “Is everything okay here?” He said in his usual, gravely voice.

“We were just catching up,” Shan smiled.

“Nell,” Din said, looking to her for a cue.

“I’m fine. I’ll join you in a minute,” she replied, resting her hand on his arm to assure him she was fine.

Din took a deep breath and walked behind her to speak with the droid, but also to keep a close eye on Nell and this stranger. He wasn’t able to afford parts for repair and needed quick work. The droid had nothing, but the kid who had walked in earlier did. A huge bounty, in fact that would pay for the ship and then some. 

Nella turned and watched Mando take a seat with a young scoundrel in the far booth before giving Shan her full attention. He smiled at her. “So, _Nell_ ,” he chided.

“Nella to you, Shan.”

He laughed and looked back at Mando. “He seemed,” Shan paused, “awfully protective. Not what I was expecting from Enigma.”

“Leave him out of it, Shan,” she warned.

He motioned for her to follow him to the booth Mando had previously occupied. “Don’t worry. I care about you too much to blow your cover. I’m just giving you shit.” She settled into the seat across from him. “What do you say we get dinner tonight?”

Nella rolled her eyes at him. “I’m on a job.”

“So is he,” he replied, motioning to Mando striking a deal with the young man. “Besides, now that I know you aren’t a Gungan under that helmet, I’d like to take you out.”

She laughed at him and shook her head. “You really know how to woo a lady.”

“It’s my specialty.”

Nella took a drink. “Sure it is.”

Din stood from the booth and walked back to Nella and her _friend_. He watched as she threw her head back and laughed at something he said, and he felt a tightness in his chest as he glared at the man across from her. She paid no attention to him as he stood awkwardly next to the table, waiting. For what? He wasn’t exactly sure.

Finally, she turned and glanced up at him. “Find a job?”

He nodded. “We need to get back to the ship,” he ordered. 

“What’s the job?” She asked, taking a drink of whatever this man gave her.

“High stakes bounty.”

She nodded. “Nice.”

This man was getting her drunk. He grabbed her cup away from her. “Nell, we are leaving.”

She frowned at him. “I work _with_ you not for you, remember?”

He felt his anger rising in his chest, but it wasn’t at her. No. It was at this man, who had easily captivated her. “Nell…”

She rolled her eyes and stood. “I’ll see you later, Shan,” she said, leaning down to kiss his cheek. Mando moved aggressively forward.

“Shan?” Mando almost growled, dropping his baritone voice another octave. “The one who gave you that scar?”

Nella groaned as Shan’s eyebrows shot almost clean off his forehead. He knew the scar in question. “He actually cleaned and stitched it, but he didn’t give it to me,” she replied, grabbing his arm to move him away from Shan.

Din couldn’t take his eyes off Shan. “He’s seen your scar?” Shan grinned.

She spun and glared at him. “Shut up, _Shan_ , before I slit your throat.”

“Allow me,” Mando added, trying to move past her as he pulled out a knife.

She stood firmly between them, staring into the visor. “Udesii. Kaysh mirsh solus,” she calmly stated.

Din looked at her, calming down. Her brown eyes drew him in, grounding him and reminding him he couldn’t afford to make a scene. He nodded and motioned for her to come with him.

“Still on for dinner, then?” Shan shouted.

“If you’re lucky,” she laughed as she led the way out of the cantina.

Shan sarcastically saluted Din and gave him a cheesy grin. He ignored the gesture and followed her out of the cantina. She ignored him as she walked several feet ahead of him, enjoying the small distraction she found. He took a deep breath and let out an annoyed sigh as he strode faster to catch up with her. “Dinner?”

She glanced over at him and then averted her eyes straight ahead. “He’s an old friend. I told him I would think about it. When do you leave for the job?”

“Do you trust him?”

“Do you trust me?” she said, turning to look at him with her arms crossed.

Din stopped and looked down at her, debating on how to answer. He trusted her more than he trusted _Shan_ , that was for damn sure. But never really trusted anyone. He stood stoically long enough that she rolled her eyes and continued walking back to the ship. “That’s what I thought.”

“Nell!” he called after her. 

“What?” she snapped, turning on her heel to glare at him.

He moved forward and rested his hand on her shoulder. “Just take care of yourself,” he softly replied.

She took a shaky breath. “I’ll be fine,” she paused, “why do you care so much, any way?”

He cocked his head to one side. They were more alike than either of them cared to admit, and because of that, he had no idea how to answer her - despite the fact that he didn’t really have an answer to give. Why did he care if she went to dinner with Shan? Why did he care if she hurt while they were here? Why did he feel guilty for bringing her back? Thank god for the helmet. He could remain quiet behind it and she couldn’t try to read his face for an answer. 

“Look, I’m a big girl. I can handle myself. You just worry about the job, and I’ll worry about me.”

He grabbed her wrist as she turned to leave. “Nell…” he repeated, trailing off as his words escaped him.

She frowned and looked down at his hand before up at him. “You just enjoy annoying me with that stupid nickname, don’t you?”

He pulled her closer to him. “I know you don’t work _for_ me, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen. This place isn’t what it was nine years ago. I’m just looking out for you. I know you can handle yourself, but I still want you to _be_ _careful_.”

Nella glared up into his helmet and yanked her arm free from him. She spun on her heel and continued back to the ship. He took a deep breath and shook his head, as he stood there for a moment, giving her space. Din turned and looked back at the cantina where he saw Shan watching him from the doorway. He felt his blood boil as he saw the smirk spread across his smug face. “Better watch out for her, Mando,” he shouted, “she’ll rip your heart out.”

Din stood stone still, glaring at him through the visor of his helmet, debating on his next move. Despite what his better judgement told him, he took five large strides over to Shan and pinned him against the side of the cantina, holding his arm against his throat. He applied just the right amount of pressure to keep him still, but not enough to completely cut off his air ways. He wasn’t sure why he did this or even what he wanted to say to Shan; mostly he wanted to scare him. “If I find out you hurt even one hair on her head while I’m gone,” he growled.

Shan clawed at his arm, begging for release. “You’ll kill me,” he coughed, “I got it.”

Din applied a small amount of pressure before releasing him. He fell to the ground coughing and rubbing his throat. Smiling, Din turned around and headed in the direction Nella stormed off. 

***

She sat in the storage hold going through the messages Greef had sent her since last night. She cursed as she threw her comm link in her bag. She had a plan, but it was too risky to do it in town. Peli was watching the kid, and she had the perfect alibi. She could tell Mando that she was going out for dinner and then follow him on his job. Kill two birds with one stone. _I could carbonize him here,_ she thought, _after I apprehend him out there._

Nella glanced at the equipment. It was in good condition, considering the rest of the ship. Shan could help her drag him back here if she really needed it. Peli was watching the kid, so she didn’t need to worry about him. Once the ship was repaired, she could backtrack to Sorgan, drop the kid off, and then head to Nevarro with Mando. 

She turned and drew her blaster when she heard the doors open, ready to attack any intruder. Mando walked in with his hands raised in surrender as he chuckled. “Relax, cyar’ika,” he laughed, “it’s just me.”

Her eyes narrowed as she holstered her weapon. “ _Darling_?” she huffed, “Did you get lost on your way back?”

Din crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He was smiling under the beskar, remembering what he did to Shan just before he followed after her. “I’m leaving in a few hours,” he dryly added.

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” she grinned.

“What are you going to do with the kid while I’m gone?” he shifted his weight to another leg.

Nella stood and walked to the edge of the ramp and gazed towards Peli’s office, where she saw the kid playing with one of the DUM Droids. “Peil’s taking good care of him,” she said, “he’ll be fine there while I go for dinner.” Din turned and looked at her as she smiled at him over her shoulder. “Will you be gone all night?”

“Why?” he said with such staccato that Nella jumped a little from the sharpness.

“Just curious to see what time I need to be back. If you’re gone all night, then I might stay out just a little later.”

He felt his blood boiling again as he thought about Shan. Unintentionally, Din took a step forward, forcing her to back against the frame of the doorway. Nella tried to hide her smile as she watched his body turn rigid, the closer he got to her. “Jealous, Mando?”

He didn’t move, or even breathe. If Nella didn’t know any better, she would have assumed he was a statue. She danced by him, lightly brushing his arm with her hand as she passed. He turned and watched her lean down and grab a bulky satchel and bag. “What are you doing?” he asked, suddenly more concerned and confused than he was before.

“Going to dinner,” she smiled, walking off the ship.

He turned and called after her. “What are the bags for?”

Peli had walked out of her office at this point, talking to the child. “Looks like your parents are at it, again,” she mumbled. 

He cooed and laughed at her.

Nella smiled at Peli before glaring at Mando. “Do you really need to ask?” she shouted back to him.

She watched as he stood there and thought about it for a minute. Cold, calculated, and clever bounty hunter. Dense man. Nella rolled her eyes and walked to Peli. “I’ll be back in the morning,” she said, loud enough for Mando to hear, “I’ll be at the bay next door if you need anything.” She handed her a few credits.

She let out an elated “oh!” as she pocketed the credits. “I’ll see you in the morning!”

Din growled and turned back to his ship to grab his Amban Rifle. Nella felt so empowered as she stormed out of the bay. For some reason, the Mandalorian had grown attached to her. And this would be his downfall. She turned to find Shan’s ship when she came across the young bounty hunter Mando was helping. “You must be his girl,” he said, leaning against the speeder bike.

“I work with him, yes,” she said, letting her hand rest on her blaster.

“Well, don’t worry, I’ll bring him back in one piece.”

Nella grimaced at him. “It’s not him I’m worried about. Watch your back, nerf-herder.”

Din joined them, preventing him from giving her a snarky reply. “Leave her alone, Calican.” He inspected the bikes, while keeping an eye on Nella.

“She started it,” Toro mumbled.

“Don’t take it personal,” she laughed, “I put him in a foul mood.”

“Great.”

Din stopped inspecting and stared at Toro before mounting the bike. “Watch your back, Nell,” he said, without looking back at her.

“See you in the morning, _Mando_.”

He tightened his grip on the handlebar and sped away from her. He couldn’t explain why he was so bothered with the thought of her and Shan, but he was. Shan was a smuggler, a thief, and a scoundrel. He didn’t trust the man as far as he could throw him, and he sure as hell didn’t trust him with Nella. She was vulnerable here, and he felt completely responsible for her. He was the reason she was here, reliving these terrible memories, making equally terrible mistakes.

**Translations**

  * _Udesii. Kaysh mirsh solus. - Take it easy. He’s an idiot._
  * _Cyar’ika - Darling/Sweetheart_




	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Nella have to come to terms with a secret she’s been keeping from him while they both continue to ignore their growing feelings for one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Angst, Violence

Nella loudly rapped her fist against the storage hold door, waiting for Shan to let her in. The door hissed as a warning, so she stepped back as it slid open and the ramp fell to the ground. She briskly walked in and locked up behind her. “Thanks, Shan!” she said, instantly heading for her room on his ship. **  
**

“Anything for you, E,” his voice called over the ship’s intercom.

She smiled and slid out of her clothes and into her suit. The slick black, gray, and blue suit hugged her body perfectly. There was something comforting about the fitted material clinging to her. She layered over the lightweight kevlar various pieces of armor that vaguely resembled Mandalorian armor, and she smiled. It was by no means beskar, but it did the job. Any other mission, she would have shown Mando her suit and helmet, comparing it to his. They would have swapped war stories and laughed together about their first missions that had most likely gone terribly wrong. She shook her head and continued getting ready. _Focus, E,_ she thought, _he’s your target, not your friend. You don’t have friends._

She strapped her blaster to her thigh and hid various blades and other weapons on her suit. For the first time in days, she felt safe again. The last bit of her uniform, her helmet, slid over her hair resting comfortably around her. Nella let out a deep, relaxed breath; Enigma was home. 

She stepped out into the hold to see Shan waiting for her. He let out a short, wolf-whistle when he looked at her. “I don’t know if it’s because I know what’s under the armor, but damn. You look better than ever E.”

Enigma laughed and shook her head. “Keep dreaming, Shan,” her voice, deeper and suddenly more sultry in the modifier on her helmet.

“You sure you don’t need help?” he asked, propping his feet up on a table.

“He’s not going to expect to meet me in the desert. He’s going to be too distracted with Nella and what she’s doing all night with you.”

He raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. “And what is Nella doing with me tonight?”

“You’re repulsive,” she laughed, “why don’t you use your imagination to keep yourself entertained while I’m gone.”

His smile widened. “Don’t mind if I do.” He watched her finish strapping her weapons on before adding, “I doubt he’ll put up much of a fight.”

Enigma paused and glanced over to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t know what you did to him, but I’m sure he’d jump into a Sarlacc pit for you.”

“Please. I’m just ‘another member’ of his two man crew.” She shook her head.

Shan stood and walked over to her, forcing her back against the doorframe. “He seems awfully protective of a crew member. He pinned me against the cantina and threatened to kill me after the two of you left.” Enigma laughed at him and shook her head in denial. “He did! He said if I hurt even one hair on your head he’d kill me.” 

He pulled the collar of his shirt down for her to see the red marks along his neck. Her eyes widened as she realized Shan was telling the truth. “Why would he do that for me?” she asked, her face burning under her helmet. Suddenly, she was sweating in her suit.

Shan shrugged and adjusted his shirt to hide the marks. “I don’t know, because you are the _last_ woman who would need a man to kill for her.” He sat back down and propped his feet up. “But I’m sure you’re smart enough to figure out _why_ he would do that for you.”

She fidgeted with her weapons one last time before hitting the button to release the door. “I’m going to need your speeder,” she said.

Shan tossed her the key. “It’s in the hold under the ship. Be careful with her, I just got her tuned.”

Enigma shook her head and left to retrieve the bike. She straddled the bike and took a deep breath as she gazed out over the never ending, sandy dunes. Now was the perfect time to capture him. She was so close to retirement that she could almost taste it. She wouldn’t have to continuously live in the shadows any more. She could cash in on this bounty and live a peaceful, secluded life away from everyone. If she clung to this dream, it would keep her focused on bringing in the one person she’d slowly learned to trust.

***

Din leaned against the speeder, feigning sleep as he watched Toro tool around with his blaster. Idiot, he thought. He let his mind wander to thoughts of Nella: how she leaned against him in the cantina when she couldn’t contain her grief anymore; how her touch lingered on his arm for just a second longer than a concerned companion; how she smiled at him as she walked to Shan’s ship. He felt that same familiar tightness in his chest again the longer he thought about her smile, but then instant jealousy as he remembered where she was. _Shan_. If he laid a single finger on her, he was ready to rip his arm off. She wasn’t in the right mindset and he was going to take advantage of her. _If he touches her, I’m going to fucking cut his limbs off when we get back,_ he thought, smiling to himself.

“All right, suns are down,” Toro said, glancing at Din and bringing him out of his thoughts, “time to ride, Mando.” Annoyed at the young hunter, Din didn’t move. “Come on. Wake up,” he said, moving in front of him, “Look at you. Asleep on the job, old man.” Toro whipped his blaster out and continued to flip it in his hands, pointing it at him. 

“You done?” Din asked, still not moving.

Startled, Toro holstered his weapon. “Yep. Yeah, I was just uh - you know - just uh, waking you up.”

Steadily, Din rose from the ground and stretched, looking around for any signs the sniper had moved. “Get on your bike. Ride as fast as you can towards those rocks,” he motioned in their direction.

“That’s your plan?” Toro laughed. “She’ll snipe us right off the bikes.”

Din sighed and tossed him a flash charge. “It’s a flash charge. We alternate shots. It’ll blind any scope temporarily. Combine that with our speed, and we got a chance.”

***

Enigma saw where they made camp and made herself comfortable on the cliffs adjacent. She observed them alternating watches, looking at the rocks to her right. Their bounty must have been hiding there. She kept her rifle sights trained on Mando as he leaned against the bike. The longer she watched him through her scope, the more guilty she felt about betraying him. He understood her, in every sense of the word. It’d been years since she’d found someone that could connect with her the way he could. _He betrayed the Guild_ , she thought, _He betrayed the Guild._

“Then, why aren’t you taking the shot you have now?” she asked herself, annoyed at her hesitancy. _Because he’s the only one you trust,_ her thoughts added. She felt a cold wave wash over her at the thought. She wasn’t supposed to trust anyone. 

_“Trust no one,”_ Boba had once told her, _“everyone is only in this life for the money, and they’ll turn on you the second they’re offered the right price.”_ He was right. She was offered the right price and was betraying Mando.

But he looked after her more than needed. They’d only met about a month ago, and instantly he was protective of her. His presence gave her a sense of security: a feeling she wasn’t used to. When they were forced to land here, he was more concerned about her than anything. _“Just tell me the parts we need, and I can get them for you. You don’t have to leave the ship,”_ he said to her while she was in the midst of a panic attack, _“I’m just looking out for you. I know you can handle yourself, but I still want you to be careful.”_

If his behavior here wasn’t enough to make her trust him, his selflessness was. He charged her in the heat of battle to save her life from an explosive. She most certainly would have died when that charge went off if it wasn’t for him. He hardly knew her then. 

She growled and shook her head to force herself to focus. _Get it together, E._ She peered into the scope as she pulled the rifle tighter into her shoulder. They were mounting their bikes and heading toward their target. She followed him in her sights with her finger steady on the trigger. _One quick squeeze and he will never know what hit him,_ she thought. The guilt was almost unbearable by now as she took her aim. If she hit him in the beskar, it would knock him off the bike; it wouldn’t kill him. The least she could do was keep him alive and freeze him in carbonite like she originally planned. Enigma took a deep breath, and just as she pulled the trigger, a flash charge went off. 

***

A shot from his right narrowly missed him as he sent off the first flash charge before a shot from ahead of them missed Toro. There were two shooters, and something told him the second shooter was there for him; which he’d deal with after Fennec. Something told him Enigma had finally found him, and he was going to have to kill the only bounty hunter he ever considered his equal. He sighed and gripped the handles, twisting the accelerator more. Toro’s flash charge misfired as they continued toward their target. Din prepared his as he saw a shot headed right for him. He tried to swerve, dodge it, but he wasn’t fast enough. The speeder bike flew out from under him, sending him over the handlebars, out in front of the vehicle that was breaking to pieces and tumbling after him. He rolled for several feet before turning over and sending up his last flare so Toro could make it to her. 

***

Enigma froze when she saw his bike tear apart and immediately looked for Mando in her scope. Please move, she prayed as she waited for him to roll over. When he finally did, she let out a sigh of relief. She felt her face grow hot with rage as she tracked the direction of the shot through her scope and looked for the shooter. “There you are,” she grinned as she spotted a woman in her sights. Fennec Shand. He wasn’t kidding when he said their bounty was high profile. This was a dangerous and profitable job for him, but he did it for her and the kid. They needed the money to pay for the ship. She could hear Shan’s words echoing in her ears. _“He pinned me against the cantina and threatened to kill me.”_

“I’ll teach you to mess with us,” she growled as she squeezed the trigger. 

Fennec dodged the shot and was out of her scope. Enigma looked for Mando in her sights again, and he had looked back in the direction her shot came from. He knew where she was, and she didn’t care. The second she saw him go down, she’d changed her mind. In that split second, she felt the loss of everyone she’d ever loved and realized now she couldn’t turn on the one person left she could connect to. The Client had already hired out someone else, and it was only a matter of time before they came after her for the money. Enigma - no Nella decided she was on the side of the righteous, not the greedy. She watched as he turned to run in the direction of Fennec. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed a little when she realized he was okay. 

Nella kept her scope on the area she saw Mando run to, hoping to see him return soon. There were a few shots fired, causing her heart to race as she waited in agony for him to reappear with the bounty. Soon, the three of them headed to the last remaining speeder bike with Fennec in cuffs. She smiled and kept her sights on their bounty. If she gave them any trouble, she’d be the first to pull the trigger. She watched as Mando and his associate talked, before he left in the direction of the Dewback. She shook her head at him, trusting Toro wouldn’t run off with the bounty. She vigilantly watched him through her scope, ready to stop him from ditching Mando. 

Hours had passed and the suns were beginning to rise. Mando hadn’t returned with the Dewback, and Toro was getting restless. Nella watched as he and Fennec talked. She focused on her lips as she tried to read them. She picked out the words “Mandalorian” and “traitor”. She felt her grip tighten around her rifle, anticipating Toro setting Fennec free. She adjusted the sights on her scope, which brought Fennec into the frame more. She saw her mention the kid. Just as she was ready to fire, she heard a shot reverberate off the cliff walls and saw Fennec drop to the ground. 

“Shit,” she said, setting her sights on Toro, “Shit.” 

He jumped on the speeder bike and sped away. She took a shot at him and missed as he swerved just enough away from her. She saw him shoot in her direction, hitting the boulder just above her head. She ducked down to avoid it. By the time she flipped over, he was too far out of range to hit. Nella jumped up and slung her rifle on her back as she ran down to her bike. She had to find Mando. 

***

After he’d found the Dewback, he climbed on and began the trek back to where he left Toro and Fennec. It was almost morning, and his skin crawled the more he thought about where Nella spent the night. Din had hardly known her a month, and he could already tell she was a weak spot for him. He hoped she’d made the decision to return to the ship, where she was safe from the likes of Shan. He knew the kid was safe with Peli, but Nella? He couldn’t trust Shan as far as he could throw him. He pictured the scar that she showed him at the top of her rib cage. His damn gloves were in the way of feeling her delicate, and what he was sure was the softest skin he’d ever felt. He remembered watching the bumps on her flesh dance across her body when he lightly brushed over the scar. He felt a smile creep across his face as he pictured her sitting across from him in that button down shirt just after her shower. His stomach was in knots again the longer he thought about her, and then his chest tightened when he remembered she was with Shan. “Motherfucker,” he mumbled.

He pulled the Dewback to a halt when he saw someone on a speeder bike approaching him, and fast. He grabbed his binocs out of his bag and held them up. He recognized the armor anywhere: Enigma. He slid down the side of the beast and clung to it, hoping he could catch her by surprise or at least take cover from her fire. He reached for his rifle, ready for a fight. 

She saw him slide down the side of the animal and she shook her head. They were going to beat the shit out of each other before she could tell him what happened. _I’m going to have to drag his unconscious ass back,_ she thought. She twisted the accelerator and sped ahead, ready to knock sense into the Mandalorian. When she was within twenty yards of the Dewback, she stopped her bike and hopped off. “Mando!” she shouted.

No answer.

She groaned and stepped closer, leaving her rifle on the bike as a sign of truce. “I’m unarmed, Mando,” she said, holding her hands up.

Again, no answer.

“Mando, I just want to talk.” She was growing impatient with him. She knew he was stubborn, but damn, he was being _really_ stubborn right now.

“I can bring you in warm,” she bated, “or I can bring you in cold.” Nella grinned to herself as she remembered the pilot saying that to him before they landed on Tatooine. It worked then to get a reaction out of him, and she hoped it would work this time.

“Here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going back to Mos Eisley on my own with your bike and you’re gonna let it happen,” he finally replied.

“There’s plenty of room for both of us,” she grinned.

He felt his heart race. If he died out here fighting Enigma, Nella and the kid were left on their own. They’d have no idea and they’d be hunted until they were caught or worse. Enigma was the only bounty hunter that actually worried him. Her skills were legendary. She was someone he prayed he would never have to fight. He weighed his options, trying to determine the best one so he could get back to them. “I’ll trade you,” he added, “the Dewback and your life for the bike.”

Nella laughed and shook her head. “Just step out here so we can talk.”

He held onto his rifle and slowly emerged from behind the Dewback. She held her hands up when she saw him aiming his rifle at her. “I’m unarmed,” she added, “you really going to shoot an unarmed woman?”

“You’re never unarmed, Enigma. I’ve heard enough about you to know that much.” He slowly stepped closer to her, rifle never leaving her. “I know you were at the cliffs last night.”

“Yeah?” she said, cocking her head to one side like she’d seen him do so many times, “what about it?”

“How much did they pay you?”

“Enough to retire.”

He huffed and inched closer. “You can’t retire if you’re dead,” he growled, “I’m not going in with you.”

She started to grow impatient. “Mando, we don’t have time for this.”

Din didn’t want to drop his guard, but he realized her voice - even in the modulator - sounded vaguely familiar. It was smooth, sultry almost. His stomach dropped when he realized where he’d heard her voice before.

Nella took advantage of his relaxed state. Instantly, she ducked down and tackled him in the waist. If she could pin him down, she could get him to listen to her. Mando flipped her off him as he spun around and aimed his flame thrower at her. She dodged the flames and threw a knife at his shoulder. It bounced off his beskar, and he swung his rifle at her. She ducked. Nella used her his leg to hoist herself up - tossing her leg behind his neck, and flipping backwards sending him bouncing across the sand. He rolled several feet and shook his head. Now, he was certain he’d seen Enigma’s signature move before, but he prayed he was wrong as an icy chill washed over him. 

Din hopped to his feet and ran at her. As she spun to kick him, he dodged and wrapped his arms around her. She reared back before coming down hard and flipping him over her shoulder. He rolled to the right and grabbed her ankle, pulling her to the ground. He made a motion to climb over her and pin her under him, but she kicked him in the chest to send him flying backwards. 

He was transported back to the last time he fought. Sorgan. That fight looked _exactly_ like this one. Din wanted to be wrong; he didn’t want to be right about who Enigma was. He didn’t want _her_ to betray him like this. 

She pushed off the ground and landed on her feet, cautiously watching him. He slowly rose to his feet and stepped backwards for a minute to regain his breath. Mando ran at her, but she attempted to scissor kick him. He grabbed her foot, so she propelled herself off the ground to spin out of his grasp, kicking him in the helmet in the process. That sent him to the ground again as the vibration from the kick rang in his ears.

She quickly flipped him on his back and held a knife at the base of his helmet. “Move and I’ll slit your throat,” she growled, “I just want to talk.”

He didn’t move, as he glared at her through his visor, the betrayal cutting him deep. Her voice patterns were so similar to her’s that he was almost certain it was her. All the evidence was there, staring him in the face, but he continued to ignore it. “If I let you up, are you going to attack me again, or will you just _listen_ for once in your stubborn existence?”

“You have my attention,” he replied dryly.

Against all the training she’d gone through with Boba, she let her guard down just enough that Mando flipped her over and pinned her to the ground. “Dammit, Mando, I don’t want to fight you,” she groaned as she struggled against him. This time his weight was crushing her and she couldn’t move. 

“There’s only one reason you’re out here. I know how big my bounty is,” he said, holding her arms above her head and away from her weapons. She wiggled beneath him, trying to find a weakness. 

“If you take my helmet off, you will see I’m not here to kill you!” she exclaimed, “Toro killed Fennec and went after the kid. We have to get back to the ship.”

He stopped and glared at her. If she was after the kid too, she could have taken him while he was gone. Clearly she was tracking him and knew he left the kid somewhere. “If you’re not here to kill me, then why are you here?”

She tried wiggling free from him again, but it was no use. “We don’t have time for this,” she snapped, “After we save the kid, then you can go back to attempting to kill me.”

Forcefully, he pushed off her and backed away. “How do I know this isn’t a trap?”

“Ugh,” she moaned, “you are the most stubborn man I have ever met, do you know that?”

She reached up to take her helmet off, but he stopped her. “No,” he said, almost so soft she didn’t think she heard it. “I don’t want to see.” His voice broke a little. “I don’t want to be right just yet.”

He knew. Nella’s blood ran cold as looked at him. His body language changed as he moved away from her. When this moment came, she knew that the guilt would weigh heavily on her; she just didn’t think it would hurt. “Mando,” she said, reaching for him to reassure him that she wasn’t there to betray him, but he moved away from her grasp.

“Let’s get the kid, and then we can go back to sorting this out after,” he said, motioning towards the speed bike.

She sighed and mounted the bike first. He hopped on behind her after grabbing his rifle. Din saw her rifle strapped to the side of the bike and instantly recognized it. It was Nella’s rifle. He felt a sting in the center of his chest that burned the longer he looked at it. He couldn’t believe he’d been so blind this entire time that he let her get this close to him - to the kid. Din trusted her, welcomed her onto his ship with no questions asked. He’d broken one of his unspoken rules.

He took a deep breath and held his rifle in one hand while he wrapped the other around her. The stinging dissipated at the contact; despite the betrayal, he couldn’t shake the feelings he had being so close to her. She felt something stir deep within her when his arm pulled her into him, hand resting on her stomach. She momentarily looked down before programing her helmet on her wrist control. “I did this so we could talk,” she said through the Comms Link in their helmets.

He didn’t respond. 

She started the bike and sped towards Mos Eisley. She felt herself relaxing into his body that she fit into perfectly, and the further she leaned into him the more he stirred behind her. His fingers fidgeted against the kevlar of her suit. He moved his hand to her side, resting just above her hip. “If you lean back any more,” he said over the comms, “you’ll push me off the bike.”

“Oh,” she mumbled, “sorry.” 

Instantly she straightened and leaned forward. He shook his head and kicked himself for pushing her away. Despite the fact she’d betrayed him, it felt good having her so near. He splayed his fingers across her lower abdomen and pulled her back to him just a little. She didn’t say a word as she let him, either. His hand was so strong, and she felt a heat build within her as she pictured what else those hands were capable of. She felt him relax a little behind her as he held her firmly in place. She could tell she had the same effect on him that he had on her. Nella forced herself to blink several times before she focused on the desert in front of her before she crashed their ride daydreaming. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, hoping he didn’t hear her.

“I understand,” he said, “you’re a bounty hunter. It’s what we do.” His voice was soft and calm. He really did understand, and though her betrayal stung, he knew he would have done the same thing in her shoes. 

“I’m not taking the kid back to them,” she breathed, “I’m not doing that to him.” She paused. “Or you.”

He stopped breathing for a minute when she said that. He didn’t know what to say. No one had ever done anything for him, let alone walk away from a bounty so large they could retire. “Nell…” he started.

She gripped the accelerator tighter and the bike sped up, and he took the hint. She didn’t want to talk about it. They were still several hours away from Mos Eisley; by her calculations, they wouldn’t make it back until dark. 

***

By the time the suns had gone down, they were pulling into Mos Eisley. Nella parked the speeder bike at Shan’s ship. They both agreed a sneak approach would be best. Toro wouldn’t expect both of them to be there. “I’ll go in through the front,” Mando said, “he’ll be expecting me. You try to hop over the back wall and surprise him from there.”

She nodded. She turned to head in that direction when she felt a hand lightly grab her wrist. “Ke ulur,” he softly murmured.

Nella rested her hand on his arm. “I can handle myself. You need to watch your back,” she chuckled. 

He gave her wrist a small squeeze for reassurance before letting her go. He watched her run off, jumping and scaling up the sides of the building. He’d never seen anything so lethal and graceful in his life, and he was completely enamoured with her. 

Din sighed and turned towards Peli’s hanger. Toro had another thing coming. If he could barely handle his own with Enigma, Calican definitely wouldn’t. He eased into the hanger, looking for the young bounty hunter. “Took you long enough, Mando,” he shouted as he slowly walked down the Razor Crest’s ramp with the kid in his arms being held at gunpoint. “Looks like I’m calling the shots now, huh, partner? Drop your blaster and raise ‘em.”

Nella was crouched on the side wall, ready to pounce when she saw the kid as Toro’s hostage. She froze. Images of her family flooded her memory. The merc had a tight hold on Alara as he held a blaster to her head. She was crying, pleading with her sister to do something. It was happening all over again. The kid was going to die, because she couldn’t get to him in time. Din glanced up at her out of the corner of his eye, and he saw her. He raised his hands in surrender as he lowered his weapon. “You’re a Guild traitor, Mando,” he continued as he tossed a pair of cuffs in Din’s direction. “And I’m willing to bet that this here is the target you helped escape.”

Din didn’t say anything as he knelt down to grab the cuffs. He saw Nella flatten herself on the roof and take aim with her rifle. He grinned under his helmet and placed the cuffs around his wrists, fastening them. 

“Fennec was right. Bringing you in won’t just make me a member of the Guild, it’ll make me legendary,” he scoffed. Toro aimed his blaster at Mando, ready to shoot. Din stood, continuing to glare at Toro as he waited for Nella to take the shot.

She tried to shake the images from her head as she took several deep breaths to calm herself. When she saw Toro aim at Mando she felt the same rage from earlier boiling beneath the surface. She took one deep breath and pulled the trigger just as Toro did. His body dropped on the ramp. “Mando!” she cried as she saw him stumble forward, trying to grab his right side.

He felt a stinging pain on his ribs as he fell to his knees. Toro’s shot grazed his side, leaving a nice burn. “Shit,” he mumbled. He watched through his blurred vision as Nella jumped down from her perch and rushed to him. 

Peli had beaten both of them to the kid to make sure he was okay while she tended to Mando. “Are you okay?” she asked, helping him stand.

He hissed as he touched the open wound and nodded. “I’ll be fine. He barely got me.” 

She helped him sit on the ramp before grabbing the bag of credits off Toro’s body. “Will this cover us?” she asked, tossing Peli the bag.

“Yeah, this is gonna cover you,” she replied, placing the kid on the ground.

Nella smiled as she watched him run to Mando. They paid no attention to Peli yelling at her droids to clean up the mess. “Mando,” Nella softly said as she approached, “can I take a look?”

He stood up and grabbed the kid in his arms. “No,” he added, “I’ll be fine.”

Din moved past her and walked into the hold, placing the kid in his makeshift bed. He grabbed the First-Aid kit off the wall and placed it on the table, where he attempted to patch himself up. Nella leaned against the ramp’s frame and watched as she removed her helmet. He pulled up the side of his shirt, and suddenly she felt herself blushing at the sight of his bare flesh. She felt like she was intruding on an intimate moment. He dropped the disinfectant spray and it rolled across the floor. “Dammit,” he mumbled.

Nella grabbed it and knelt in front of him, resting her gloved hand on him. She didn’t say a word as she spread it on the wound on his side. He glanced down at her, noting how her hair was pulled back in a loose braid. A few strands fell around her face as she concentrated on cleaning the dirt out of his injury. Din was almost certain he’d stopped breathing at that point. She reached for the bandaids on the table and he handed her one. She removed the backing so the adhesive would stick to his skin. Gently, she pressed the edges to make sure it was secure before standing up. “Thank you,” he softly replied.

She nodded and picked her helmet up off the floor. He watched as she started rolling up her bed she’d made. “What are you doing?”

“Packing my things,” she stated. Nella turned and smiled at the kid when she heard him whine, trying to reassure him everything would be alright. “Do you really want to go back to fighting in front of the kid?”

Din rose and walked over to her, hovering. “You’re leaving?”

She stuffed a blanket into her bag. “My mission is over,” she replied, “my cover’s blown.”

“Nella,” he begged.

She ignored him and finished packing. She grabbed her helmet and tucked her hair back inside. “I’m sorry I betrayed you, Mando. I now know you were just doing the right thing. He doesn’t deserve whatever the Client was going to do to him.”

They stared at each other for the longest time, saying nothing. “I know you’ll never trust me again,” she added, “because I wouldn’t. I was ready to turn you in for a bounty greater than anything either of us have ever seen.” She took a deep breath and glanced outside. “It’s fine though, I’ve got a job. Shan’s offered me a place in his crew. It’ll be good to lay low for a little while while the Imp searches for ‘Enigma.’” She laughed to herself at the thought of them never finding her.

Din felt his chest tighten at the thought of her leaving him for _Shan_ , but he understood. She was right. Things would be different now that he knew who she was. He wouldn’t trust her with his ship, the kid, or anything again. But there was this small part of him that wanted to reach out to her and ask her to stay. 

“Good luck with the kid, Mando,” she said, turning to go down the ramp, “here’s to hoping we don’t cross paths again.”

He didn’t respond. He didn’t know how to. Instead, he watched her walk down the ramp and out of his life.

**Translation**

  * _Ke ulur - Take care or be careful._




	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Nella attempt to face the tension between them. Nella decides she should look for her old mentor, somewhere on Tatooine, but Din wants her to come back with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Angst, Mild Violence

The kid whined after Nella walked out of the hangar with her things. Din looked over at him and sighed, kicking himself for letting her go. He was used to people walking in and out of his life, but she was different. He watched the kid climb out of his bed and make his way over to where she had slept. He stood there staring at the spot before glancing back to Din with a small frown. “She was going to betray us, Kid,” he mumbled, “we can’t trust her.”

The child gazed up at him and cocked his head to one side as if he didn’t understand.

“She was going to kill me and turn you in for the bounty,” Din added.

The child seemed to ignore him as he knelt down and grabbed something that had rolled under the weapons storage door. Din continued to watch him as he grabbed whatever it was and turned his back to him. He frowned and approached the kid, picking him up and setting him in his little bed. “What did you find there?”

He saw a pendant on a leather string in the kid’s hands. He gladly handed it over to Din for closer examination. As soon as he looked at the whole pendant, he froze in fear. He recognized that symbol. It was the Clan Fett sigil. The last he heard, Boba Fett had died here on Tatooine in a Sarlacc Pit, and he was the last of the Fetts. He gripped the pendant tight in his hand, debating on what he should do with it. It was obviously her’s, but he couldn’t bring himself to chase after her. Her betrayal stung too much for him to face her, but the kid cooed again, and motioned in the direction Nella ran. He groaned and nodded. “Alright, let’s go get her,” Din replied, cradling him in his arm.

The kid smiled and laughed as they walked in the direction of Shan’s ship. He heard the engines firing up the closer he got. His heart raced, hoping he wasn’t too late to get her back, but by the time he turned the corner the ship was just lifting off from the hangar to leave Tatooine.

***

“Thanks, again, Shan,” she replied as she paid him part of her wages from the Client’s money, “it’s a really nice Speeder bike.”

“Yeah, I’ve got one just as nice back home I can use. Besides, if you’re going to stay around here, you’re going to need some form of transportation,” he chuckled as he leaned against the side of his ship. 

“You’re sure your source was accurate?” she asked, mounting the bike.

Shan sighed and nodded. “They said they’d seen a Mandalorian out in the desert. Mos Pelgo was the last place he was seen. Are you sure you don’t want to crash here tonight? It’s kinda late.”

“It’s best I leave town now.” She looked out across the desert. If Boba was still alive, she needed to find him. She owed him that much. Oh, how disappointed in me you will be, Boba, she thought. She strapped her bag on the back of the bike and placed her helmet over her head. “If Mando comes looking for me…” she started.

Shan shook his head and held his hands up. “Nope. I am not getting involved. He will murder me, and I like being alive. As soon as you’re gone, I am off this rock.”

“Stop being so dramatic,” she said as she tossed her leg over the bike. 

He rolled his eyes. “Good luck, E. I’ll be seeing you,” he waved at her as he boarded his ship again and prepared for departure.

She nodded in his direction and cranked the accelerator. She zipped past the buildings and was out of town limits within minutes, heading to the last known location of Boba Fett. She turned back once and saw Mando walking out of the hangar with the kid in the crook of his arm. She twisted the accelerator more to cruise out of his view before he saw her. 

***

Din felt panic wash over to him as he rushed to the hangar controls. Now that he saw she was leaving him, he realized he couldn’t lose her; not like this. He pounded on the windows until they took notice of him and one man stepped out. “What?” he asked, annoyed.

He pointed up to Shan’s ship preparing to take off. “You need to ground that ship,” he said.

“I’m sorry, sir, but…”

Din whipped his blaster out and held it at the man’s chest. “Now!” he growled.

His eyes grew wide with fear as he nodded his head and signaled for the other man in the office to ground Shan’s ship. He watched with bated breath, as the ship slowly circled back around and landed in it’s port. As the hydraulics hissed and the storage hold door slid open, Shan came barreling down the ramp in a rage. “What’s the meaning of this?” he said, “I have shipments that cannot be late.”

Din stepped around the control booth with his blaster drawn, and Shan froze. “Oh, shit,” he mumbled, “you? You grounded me?”

“Yeah,” he replied, “now, where is she?” Din started walking towards his ship, the kid laughing and gurgling the entire time. 

Shan ran in front of him to stop him. “You can’t just board my ship,” he argued.

Din froze and glared at him. “Go get her, then,” he ordered, “we need to talk.”

“She doesn’t want to talk,” he replied, “just leave her alone, man.”

He took a deep breath and sat the kid on the ground next to him. He then grabbed Shan by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. “You aren’t leaving until Nell and I finish what we started in the desert,” he added.

Shan let out a shaky breath. “Look, I don’t know what happened between you two, but I told her I’m not going to get involved. She’s not here, and she doesn’t want you to follow her.”

“What do you mean she’s not here?” He tightened his grip on Shan’s shirt.

“I mean she left, Mando. She bought my speeder bike from me and left.” He waved his hand in the general direction of the desert landscape outside the city limits. “She doesn’t want to be followed or found.”

Din groaned and tossed him to the ground. “Hey!” Shan exclaimed. “Mando, if she doesn’t want to be found, you won’t find her. That’s Enigma.” He glared at him as he watched the man stand up and dust himself off. “I just learned her identity yesterday, and I’ve known her for years. Do you really think she’s going to let her former bounty catch up to her?” Shan laughed as he stared at Din, who was just as stoic as ever, glaring at him through his visor. “If you chase her, it’ll only push her away more.”

He picked the kid up in his arms and began walking away. “I’m not leaving the planet without her,” he snapped over his shoulder.

“Phew, you got it bad for her,” he chuckled.

He stopped in his tracks, waiting for Shan to finish - hoping he’d give him an excuse to deck him. “I told you to watch out for her, Mando,” Shan added, “she’ll rip your heart right out.”

Din spun on his heel and made three large strides over to him. He held the kid close as he used his free hand to jab Shan in the jaw, dropping him to the sand again. He looked at the men at the controls, who were watching with horrified expressions. “This ship does not leave until I return.”

They quickly nodded their heads and ducked behind their desks, afraid they were next on the Mandalorian’s shit list. The kid laughed at him before they turned and left the hangar. “I guess we’re staying here another night,” he sighed. 

He walked into Peli’s office and knocked. She was startled by the sudden noise and dropped whatever it was she was working on. “What!” she exclaimed when she saw him.

“Do you have a speeder bike I can borrow?” he asked.

She glared at him. “I thought you were leaving,” she replied, grabbing the kid and cradling him. He laughed and cooed in her arms.

“I am, but I need to find someone first.”

She smiled and looked down at the child. “I don’t know how you turned out so wonderful with parents like these,” she said.

“We’re not…”

“There’s a bike out back,” she cut him off, “I’ll watch him and you can use the bike. But it’ll cost ya.”

He nodded and left to retrieve the bike. He cursed at himself for letting his weakness distract him, but he wasn’t about to leave her behind on the one planet that brought her the most misery. He also refused to admit to himself that he liked having her around. Her snarky quips, eye rolls, and her smile made the ship less cold and isolating. This is for the kid, he justified. If he was doing this for anyone, it was for the kid. He wasn’t ready to admit this was a selfish expedition. 

Din swung his leg over the bike and sped in the general direction Shan had pointed. He tried his best to track her, hoping he’d catch her before she found another port or ship to jump on. He wasn’t about to let her go that easily. 

***

She’d made it back to the cliffs she’d made camp at the night before. Nella noticed Shand’s body was missing from where it fell, and immediately she began to investigate. There was another set of footprints that surrounded the spot where Toro left her, and signs that her body was dragged off. She looked around for any other clues to track, but the suns had gone down - been down for hours. It was too dark to track any more. She grabbed what she could to make a fire and settle down for the night; trying to get a good night’s rest before setting out at first light. She would have stayed in Mos Eisley for the night, but she wanted to get as far away from that place as possible. 

She leaned against the speeder bike and stared up at the sky. Sighing, she set her helmet next to her and thought of Mando and the kid. By now, they were looking for the next system they would make their temporary hideout. Nella found herself smiling the longer she thought about them. He had been so concerned about her, even after he learned who she was. She couldn’t explain the strange pull to him she felt every time he was near. I got too close, she thought. She should have just tracked him down like she originally planned, sniped him out, and grabbed the kid. She wouldn’t have gotten to know either of them, and her mission would have been over in a matter of days. But, no. She wanted both bounties.

Am I just a bounty to you? She could hear him say.

Yes. Nella paused as she frowned and ignored the imaginary conversation she was having with him.

Then, why didn’t you turn me in when you had the chance?

Nella shook her head and leaned back. She wanted to forget about him, but she couldn’t. Even with her eyes closed, she could still see him standing in front of her, holding her arm as he told her to be careful; his hand pulling her into him as he wrapped the rest of his body around her. She groaned and shook her head, trying to forget. She was angry with him. He let her betrayal slide. Nella wanted him to scream, yell at her or in the very least shoot her for the treachery. But, he didn’t even seem to be bothered by it at all; like she meant nothing to him, which was why he let her go in the first place. She felt her chest tighten at the thought and sat back up, gazing into the fire as she chewed on her bottom lip. It’s for the best, she tried to convince herself. She grabbed her pack off the bike and laid her head against it. She felt herself slowly drifting off to sleep as she struggled to shake the image of Mando standing at the top of the Razor Crest’s ramp as she left. 

***

He saw the faint flickering flame off in the distance, and he knew he’d found her. He smiled as he twisted the accelerator to get to her sooner with his heart beating fast with anticipation. Din had absolutely no idea what he was going to say to her to convince her to come back with him, but he decided that he wasn’t leaving until she agreed. 

Din slowed the bike when he saw her react to the sound of him approaching. She grabbed her blasters and aimed them in his direction. She honed in on him with her helmet, and dropped her weapons when she saw who it was. He parked and quickly hopped off. “Nell,” he said, as he drew closer to her, “I just want to talk.”

She smiled at him and holstered her blasters. He felt his heart stop as he gazed at her, the light from the fire outlining her perfectly. Every curve and detail of her silhouette was illuminated, causing his imagination to run wild. “Have you come to make sure I won’t change my mind?” she laughed, bringing him out of his trance. She took her helmet off and shook her head, allowing strands of hair to fall around her face. “How did you find me?”

Fuck, this wasn’t just for the kid. He wanted her back too. No, he needed her back. “Shan.”

She growled and rolled her eyes. “I’m going to kill him,” she mumbled.

Din laughed and agreed. “Allow me to do the honors.”

Her eyes shot over to him and stared. “Humor me,” she said, as she relaxed her stance a little, “why do you hate Shan so much?” She tried to prevent another smile from creeping across her face as she patiently waited for his response.

His mouth instantly went dry at the thought of what to say. All too quickly, he ordered, “Come back with me.”

She gaped at him, astonished. “What?”

“I-uh…I want you to come back with me,” he repeated.

She glared at him. “No.”

He was taken aback at her sudden abruptness. “I’m not leaving until you agree to come back.”

“Then you’ll be waiting out here forever. I’m not going back with you, Mando,” she argued.

“And why is that?” He heard his voice raise just a little. She was just as stubborn as he was, if not, more so. “What else are you going to do out here?”

She crossed her arms and continued to glare at him. “For your information, I’m looking for someone.”

“You’re looking for someone.” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Yeah, and so I’d really appreciate it if you would just leave me. Forget I’m here on this god forsaken planet and move on with your life.” She felt a few tears in her eyes as she realized what she was resigning herself to. 

“It’s not that simple, Nell,” he breathed, “You hate Tatooine. I can’t just leave you.”

She squinted her eyes at him. “Yes, you can.” He cocked his head at her, not understanding the shift in her tone. “Why do you want to help me? I betrayed you. I made you believe I was on your side; that I could help you,” she barked, “so why do you care so much about what happens to me?”

He felt a cool chill wash over him. He hadn’t been able to answer those questions when he thought of them himself; there was no way he could provide her with an answer now. He hadn’t wrestled with these feelings in a long time, and even then he didn’t know how to properly handle them. “I don’t,” he replied. He watched her freeze at his cold answer. It was not what she was expecting to hear. The fact was, he did care. Din cared more than he probably should, and when he realized his answer hurt her, he immediately tried to redact it. “I didn’t mean it like that, Nell,” he added, in a softer voice.

“No, you did,” she said, a little hurt. “You act like you don’t even care that I was ready to hand you and the kid over to the Imps. It had no effect on you when I left!”

It did, he thought, more than you know. He continued to stand stoically, trying to navigate the uncharted territory in front of him. “Why?” he muttered.

“Why, what?”

“Why did you change your mind?” he asked, stepping closer to her.

She took a step back from him, trying to keep her distance. She didn’t trust herself being so close to him. “I couldn’t do that to the kid,” she retorted all too fast.

“Then, why not collect on my bounty?” He knew why, but he wanted to hear her say it.

“I did it for the kid,” she continued to repeat.

Din chuckled and shook his head at her. They were too similar for it to go unnoticed. “Fine,” he added, giving into the facade they both established, “then that’s why I’m out here. For the kid. The kid wants you back on the ship. He’s gotten used to you being there, and doesn’t want to go back to the way it was before.” He took a few more steps closer to her. They were inches apart as she glanced up into his helmet. “Now, I can bring you in warm…”

“Or you’re going to shoot me?” she laughed, resting her hand on her blaster.

He shrugged. “I can always tie you up and take you on the back of my bike.”

Nella raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a coy grin. “I’d love to see you try.”

She heard a catch in his breathing as he tried to decipher the message she was sending him. “Is that a challenge?” he replied cautiously. She could tell by his tone that he was grinning.

“Mando, I’ve kicked your ass both times we’ve fought. Do you really want to make it three times?”

His grin grew under the helmet. “I believe the last time we fought you were pinned under me.”

“Not before I had a knife at your throat.” 

Din forced her backwards against her speeder bike. “Are you coming back with me?”

She smiled even more and whispered against his helmet, “No.” She slid her leg between his and hooked it around the back of his calf. She nudged him back, and he landed with a hard thud in the sand. Nella did a backflip over the speeder and prepared for him to retaliate. 

He quickly stood and maneuvered around the bike. Din moved in to grapple her, but she ducked and caught him in the side where his bandage was. Her blow stung as he reached for it in pain. Her foot was coming right for his head, but he blocked it with his forearm. She used the momentum to roundhouse with her other foot. He grabbed her leg in his hand and forced her to the ground. As he went to attack her from this vulnerable position, she wrapped her legs around his neck to choke off his airways before forcing him backwards. He caught himself and dropped to his knees. He grabbed her ankles and pulled her closer to him. She kicked one leg free and used it to toss him on his back where she could climb on top of him, pinning him to the ground. “I told you,” she grinned, her hair falling out of her braid and around her face. 

Din felt something stir deep within him the longer he stared up at her. He would happily surrender to her, so long as that meant they could stay like this for a moment longer. His hands instinctively rested on her hips as they continued to stare at each other, lost in a fantasy neither of them cared to confess. Her hands fell against his arms as he noticed her breathing become irregular. “Mando,” she whispered, “you never answered my question.”

“What was that?” he replied, his voice more raspy than usual.

“Why do you hate Shan so much?” her coyish behavior had grown more serious. She knew the answer; she was certain that she could feel the answer the longer she sat on top of him.

“I don’t trust him,” he mumbled.

She smiled at him. “Is that all?”

Din wanted to tell her he was jealous, that he couldn’t stand the thought of the two of them together, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t ready to admit any of that to her just yet. “He hurt you,” he softly added, his hand sliding up to that scar. He lightly rubbed his thumb over the area.

Nella’s heart skipped several beats as chills ran across her skin. His touch still set her nerves off even with her suit between them. “It’s part of the job,” she explained, “you know that.”

“Come back with me, cyar’ika,” he breathed in a hushed, gravely voice.

“How can you ask me back when you don’t trust me?” she replied. 

She tried to move off him, but his hands firmly held her in place. She melted against his hold and leaned down closer to his helmet as she rested her hand on his breastplate. “The kid trusts you,” he coughed, obviously growing uncomfortable.

His grip tightened on her suit and she could feel his fingertips digging into her hips. She wanted to believe that’s why he was out here; his behavior beneath her begged to differ, and her body’s reaction was giving him just what he wanted. She felt a wave of heat wash over her as she slid her hands to his shoulders. “Are we going to stop lying to ourselves,” she breathed, “or is the kid going to continue being our excuse?”

Din panicked. How was he supposed to tell her how he felt when he could barely admit it to himself. “Why did you change your mind?” he said, stifling a groan as she moved to get more comfortable.

Her heart raced even faster, and she realized she needed to continue lying to herself a little longer. She wasn’t ready to admit she broke her own code. “I think we should sleep before heading back,” she replied, “you take the first watch.”

Relieved, he released her from his grip and let her stand up. Slowly, he moved, trying to think of anything to make his arousal disappear before she noticed. He propped his arms on his knees and watched her walk to the other side of the fire, as he smiled at her, wishing she could see it. She’d finally agreed to come back, and he couldn’t have been happier. He walked over to his bike and grabbed his rifle before settling across from her.

She glanced over at him and shook her head. “What?”

“Cyar’ika? Really?” she laughed.

His heart stopped as he felt a churn in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t think he called her that out loud. The last time was in jest, but this time, he could tell she knew he meant it. He tried to play it off with a shrug, but she refused to drop it. “I thought we were going to continue lying to ourselves a little longer,” she chuckled, “or are you really going to tell me why you’re out here?”

“Get some rest, Jissard,” he stressed her last name, adding a sense of finality to the discussion.

“Aye,” she mimicked a salute, before adding under her breath, “Ner cyar’ika.” 

She turned with her back to him as he cocked his head at her. He had a small smile on his face, hoping he heard her correctly. It’d been so long since he’d connected with someone like her; someone that made him feel alive, warm. He’d spent the better part of his life living alone in the vacuum of space that he’d forgotten what it was like to care about someone. The kid helped break that barrier, but when he met her his entire universe was turned on its head. She was lethal and graceful. She lived by a code while still maintaining her fire and passion that was the core of her personality. The second she laid eyes on him, he was captivated, bewitched almost. He longed to be near her constantly, to learn more about her, protect her. Din felt a burst of warmth spread throughout his body the longer he thought about it. She had quickly become someone special to him. 

***

The suns woke her as they peaked over the horizon. She’d slept through the night, and not once did Mando wake her to change shifts. She smiled with her eyes closed at the kind gesture as she curled up against the surface she leaned on. Nella froze when she realized she was not in the same position she went to sleep in. Instead she was leaning against a hard - no firm - surface that moved in time with her breathing. There was an arm draped around her, pulling her closer to him. Slowly, she moved her head to look up at the beskar helmet that was glancing down at her. She couldn’t tell if he was asleep or if he was watching her. She waited a few seconds before trying to move away from his hold. He resisted at first and then relaxed; telling her he had just woken up, too. “What the hell are you doing?” she asked, sliding away from him in the sand.

He stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate. She glanced around their little camp and noticed he’d moved over by her in the middle of the night. “If I were armed, you’d be dead,” she glared.

He shook his head. “You practically begged me to come over here last night,” he laughed.

She scoffed. “I did not.”

Din debated on telling her the whole story: how she cried out for her family in the middle of the night and had nothing but a restless sleep. No doubt, she was dreaming about the night her family was murdered. Tatooine still haunted her, and the longer they stayed the more it would harm his precious cyar’ika. It wasn’t until he heard her softly cry for “Mando” did his attention completely belong to her. She mumbled something about his wound and then she called out for him again. Her pain and fear shattered his heart, but the second she was crying for him in her sleep, he felt the pieces sow back together. He had slowly approached her and pulled her next to him; trying not to disturb her. The second his arm was around her, she’d curled up next to him and fell into a deep sleep where she didn’t move or say anything the rest of the night. He felt the same tightness in his chest he always felt around her as he concentrated on the feeling of her in his arms. She fit so perfectly that he couldn’t help but wonder if she was made to be there. His mind lingered the rest of the night and was afraid of what would happen when the suns rose. Sadly, he knew exactly what her reaction would be the second she realized who was holding her; which is what helped him make the decision to keep this intimate moment to himself.

He dusted himself off and approached his speeder bike. “Fine,” he breathed, “you didn’t. Let’s just head out of here before Raiders show up.”

Her rejection stung a little, but it was what he had expected. She watched him as he stiffly sat on his bike waiting for her to mount hers. She hoped that her nightmares from the night before hadn’t prompted him to move closer to her; that he hadn’t heard her cry out for him when she watched Toro shoot him again. “Mando,” she softly said, trying to apologize.

“Let’s go. We need to get back. Peli’s been with the kid for too long,” he replied, starting the bike.

She nodded, noting his tone was a little cold and distant. She shuddered as she mounted her bike, pulling her helmet over her head. “Race you back?” she laughed, trying to lighten his mood.

He glanced over at her and nodded, which was all the signal she needed as she sped away from him as fast as she could. He chuckled to himself and shook his head as he followed after her. Din knew he was in danger with her. “She’ll rip your heart out,” Shan had constantly warned him. And he believed that Shan was right. 

***

They slowed as they pulled into Mos Eisley. Nella looked back at Mando and waited for his bike to slow next to hers as they cruised through town. They stopped just outside of the hangar when she noticed Shan’s ship was still at the port. “I thought he was leaving,” she mumbled.

“I grounded his ship until I found you,” he said, standing close behind her. 

Nella laughed. “Seriously?” She started walking in Shan’s direction before she felt a hand lightly grab her. “I’ll go tell him it’s safe for him to leave now,” she added, looking down at the gloved hand on hers.

“Allow me,” he replied. She could tell by the tone in his voice he was smiling again. 

“You can come with me,” she rebuttled, resting a hand on his arm to ease him. “But I will do the talking. After all, he is my friend and your nemesis.”

He sighed and released her hand, following close behind her as they approached Shan’s ship. He was underneath the ship with tools, working on the landing equipment when they found him. He took a quick glance over to them before doing a double take. He dropped his tools and stood with his hands up. “Oh no. E, you’ve caused me more problems in the last forty-eight hours than you have in the years I’ve known you. I’m not involved. He beat it out of me where you went,” he pleaded.

Nella noticed the bruise on his left eye and the side of his jaw. She looked at Mando before saying, “Relax, Shan. I’m not mad. I’m here to tell you that you can leave. You didn’t have to listen to Tin Can over here. He’s just being difficult.”

He glanced between the two. Din straightened his posture and stood closer to Nella with his arms crossed as he stared down the smuggler. “Look,” he sighed, “I love you, Nell, but I think maybe we should part ways for now. Call me when you’re free of your shadow.”

Din took a step forward. “That won’t be any time soon,” his deep voice resonated through the modulator of his helmet.

Nella rolled her eyes and stepped forward, wrapping Shan in a hug. “He can learn to deal,” she whispered to him, “I’ll call you if I run into the usual trouble.”

He laughed. “And I’ll come running like always,” he replied. 

She kissed his cheek and let him go. She watched as he gathered his tools and boarded his ship. He turned at the top of the ramp and glared at the Mandalorian behind her. “Nothing better happen to her on your watch,” he said, feeling confident with distance between them.

Din clenched his fist as he swallowed the snarky response he wanted to say. She glanced back at him and grinned, as if she knew he was biting his tongue. The hold door hissed closed as Shan began his pre-flight check. Nella walked to stand next to him as they waited for Shan to leave. She nudged him with her shoulder and continued smiling as she stared ahead. “I’m impressed,” she said, “you actually played nice.”

“He’s an asshole,” Din replied, feeling a tightness in his chest the longer he concentrated on her close proximity. 

Nella laughed. “That he is,” she agreed, “but I love him. He’s the only friend I have.” 

She gazed up at him. He was staring down at her through the visor of his helmet, curious about what she meant when she said she loved Shan. Din wanted to ask, but they both agreed to continue this facade. If he confronted her about it, he would have to admit he was jealous of this suave smuggler that had an intimate relationship with her. “I doubt he wants things to stay that way,” he mumbled in his reply.

“He doesn’t, but he also knows Enigma would never,” she smiled.

Din felt his heart stop. His mouth now had a mind of its own. “What about Nella?”

She moved in closer to him, resting her hand on his arm, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “You’ve known Nella longer than Shan,” she said, “what do you think?”

His mouth went dry as he lost his voice. He thanked every god for the helmet. Din could feel his dumbfounded look permanently etched onto his face as he tried to muster a response. “I…uh…”

“Let’s go,” she said, turning to leave, “I’m sure the kid misses us.”

He nodded. Din reached up and rested his gloved hand where hers had once resided and watched her walk a few paces ahead of him. If this was a test, he was failing miserably. With each moment they shared, he felt himself falling deeper and deeper; past the point of return. At this rate, there were now exactly two people he’d do anything for, and he knew it would end him. I don’t think I can keep up this lie any more.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they’re leaving Tatooine, Nella can finally breathe again. Din can’t handle hiding how much he cares about her any more. They have a serious conversation over a few drinks that leads to a long awaited moment together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Angst, Smut

Din paid Peli and boarded the Crest behind Nella. She had the kid in her arms and was chatting up a storm with him as she walked. He smiled at the sight and knew this lie he kept telling her, telling himself, was only going to fade away the longer they spent time together. It was obvious to everyone that he cared about her, but it was still a mystery as to how deeply. He heard the child laugh the closer he approached the hold. “Where did you find this?” she asked him.

He mewled and pointed in the direction of the weapons storage. Din walked in and saw her holding the Fett pendant they had found the day before. He watched her turn it over in her hands, obviously looking at it with fondness. She looked back at the kid, who was watching her intently, and handed it to him. “Why don’t you hold on to this for me?”

“What are you doing with a Clan Fett pendant?” Din cautiously asked.

She turned and looked at him with a sorrowful look. She was reminded of the rumor she’d heard about Boba being alive on Tatooine. “It was a gift from an old friend,” she replied, “he’s the one that saved me the day after my parents were murdered; raised me as his own.”

He looked at her, fully understanding who taught her everything she knew. It explained so much about her. She was born a Jissard, but raised Mandalorian; just as he was. He moved closer to them and looked at the pendant in the kid’s small hands. She was a Fett, whether she wanted to claim it or not. Suddenly a chill washed over him as that fact sank in. The Fetts were one of the most revered Mandalorian lines in the history of Mandalore, aside from Clan Vizsla. If Boba was still alive, he was certain the man would kill him for even thinking about looking at her. 

She sighed and looked at the pendant again. “He’d be so disappointed in me,” she mumbled.

Din gazed at her, resting his hand on her shoulder. “He trained you well,” he added. She wiped the tear clinging to the rim of her eye away and nodded. He softly grabbed her chin and made her look up at him. “He’d be proud of you. You make his clan very proud.”

She turned away from him and started setting up her bed on the floor. “Nell,” he said, stopping her, “I had Peli install a bed for you when we landed.” She glanced up at him, confused. “Before…you know…” He turned and walked to the opposite end of the ship, near the small table he had, and she followed. He pressed a newly installed control pad, and a bed lowered out of the wall with hooks on either side for her bags and a few small shelves. 

“Mando,” she sighed, “you didn’t have to.” She walked over to it and sat down. It was far more comfortable than the floor, that was for sure. 

“I know,” he replied, watching her, “but I wanted to.”

Nella smiled as she stretched out on it. It’d been a while since she had slept on a real bed, so this was perfect. “Well, thank you. It’s roomy too. I haven’t slept on one larger than a cot in a while.”

“I told her to make it big enough you could fit two.”

She sat up and raised an eyebrow at him. “Two? Are you suggesting something?”

“I-no-I just meant…” he paused. He could feel his cheeks burning under his helmet as he tried to back out of the unintended innuendo. “I wanted you to have plenty of room to get comfortable. So, she took the dimensions of mine for reference.”

Nella laughed at him. “Relax, Mando. You know I just enjoy ruffling your feathers, especially since you make it so easy.” 

He stood straighter and crossed his arms. “Remind me why I asked you back.”

“According to you, the kid would miss me too much.” She stood directly in front of him, putting her in such a close proximity that Din was now cursing his helmet. He wanted nothing more than to show her the child wouldn’t be the only one who would miss her. “Now,” she added, resting her hand on his breastplate, “get me off this fucking rock you’ve been dying to save me from.”

“Of course, cyar’ika.” He nodded and climbed the ladder on the opposite side of the table. Nella grabbed the kid and followed suit, placing him in his pram as Mando began his pre-flight routine. She leaned around him and grabbed the little metal ball that had quickly become the kid’s favorite toy in the ship. He smiled at her when she dropped it into his little hands before taking a seat in the other chair behind Mando. 

“Razor Crest, this is Mos Eisley Tower. You’re cleared for take off.”

She felt the ship lift off the landing pad, and for the first time in two days she was able to breathe. Nella watched out of the window as Tatooine became a distant memory. She felt a sudden weight lift off her as they left the planet’s atmosphere and a few tears fell down her cheeks. Din saw her reflection in the window as she tried to discreetly wipe her eyes. His heart ached for her. He quickly set coordinates for another planet far off in the Outer Rim and jumped to hyperspace before turning around to look at her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “It’s just hard,” she said in a cracked voice, “that planet has taken everything from me.”

He looked down at his feet, feeling sympathy for her. She lost her family and her surrogate parent to Tatooine. It really did take everything from her; something he could easily relate to. He understood why she wanted to keep up their facade. If she grew close to anyone, it was just another thing for the universe to rip away from her. He never saw his parents murdered, like she did, so he couldn’t imagine the constant trauma she lived in, but he empathized with her. “Let’s get something to drink,” he said, grabbing her hand, “it’ll help take your mind off things.”

She grabbed the kid’s pram and followed him down the ladder. She set him up next to her bed as she found a seat at the table. Nella watched Mando grab two cups from a cupboard and a bottle of something. “You’re drinking with me?” She laughed. “Won’t that require you to take off your helmet?”

He ignored her question and poured their cups. 

“Mando, I don’t want you to break your creed just so I’m not drinking alone.”

He sat down across from her. “I’m not breaking my creed. Trust me. I’ve mastered drinking with my helmet on.”

She grabbed her cup and took a drink, trying not to make a face as the sour alcohol burned on its way down her throat. Whatever he poured them was strong. He chuckled at her as he picked up his own. “Can’t handle it?”

“It just wasn’t what I was expecting,” she said, trying another sip. 

Nella watched him out of the corner of her eye as he brought the cup to his helmet. He barely lifted it, enough for her to see the shadowy outline of his defined chin and jaw. She tried to avert her eyes, but curiosity was getting the best of her. She felt a chill course over her, so she took another drink to keep her mind from fantasizing about what the rest of him looked like under the beskar. She noticed he took several more drinks, emptying his glass before pouring them both another. “Are you trying to get me drunk?” she nervously laughed.

He chuckled. “Is it working?”

She looked into the now empty cup and giggled. “A little.”

Din could feel his smile reach his eyes when he heard that laugh. It was different than normal, and he wanted to hear it again. He leaned forward and poured her another cup before setting the bottle behind him. He watched as she poked at her cheeks and giggled again. “They’re a little warm and tingly,” she smiled.

He laughed and raised his glass at her before taking another drink. This time, she didn’t bother hiding her curious gaze, and he noticed. “How long has it been since you let other people see your face?” she asked.

He sighed. “Since I was a kid.”

Nella leaned forward and rested her hand on his helmet, to which he leaned into. He wanted to imagine he could feel her hand on his skin. She knew the rules of his guild, but she longed to see the face that his smooth, soothing voice belonged to. She dropped her hand and took another sip of her drink. “My mentor, he taught me to preserve my identity, because it was all that I had left. No one could hurt me if they didn’t know me,” she said, pensively staring through him, “Shan didn’t even know my face until the other day.”

He tensed at the mention of the suave smuggler, which did not go unnoticed. Nella grinned into her cup, trying to hide her smile. “He never knew who you were?” he asked, eager to learn more about the extent of their relationship.

She shook her head. “Honestly, you’re the first person in a decade to know both of my identities.” She took a drink. “Which is a helluva lot more than I know about you, but I’m not complaining. I get it.”

“So, you and Shan…” he trailed off. He didn’t really want to push the topic, but he needed to know just how much he should hate the man.

“What about us?” she gazed right through his visor in anticipation. Nella knew exactly where he was taking this conversation, but she needed him to say it.

He took a deep breath and swirled the drink in his hand. “Well, he acted like you two were…” he paused and took a swig of liquid courage before finishing his thought. “Were you two ever-?”

Nella laughed and shook her head. “Why do you want to know so bad?”

“I don’t,” he replied, almost too fast. 

“Mhm,” she grinned, taking another sip. She glanced at him over the rim of her cup before deciding to put him out of his misery. “No, we weren’t. I met Shan right after I had broken things off with my former fiancé, if that’s what you want to call him. He tried picking me up, but I shut him down. We’ve been great friends ever since.”

Din sat stoically, mostly in shock, at her admission. “Fiancé? You don’t seem like the type to settle down,” he added.

“I know. But younger me was an idiot, and thought that’s what she wanted. His name was Finon Vane. When I found out he worked for the Empire during the war, I ended things. I couldn’t be with someone who condoned the murder of innocent people.” 

He saw a hint of sadness in her eyes as she reflected on Vane. “Do you regret it?”

She looked up at him from her cup and sighed. “Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I would have stayed, but hey, then I wouldn’t be around to keep you in line.”

“Did he know who you were?”

She nodded, but then shook her head. “I guess you could say he knew me, but he didn’t _know_ me. I’ve been living under a fake name since Boba and I ‘killed’ Nella Jissard.” She froze, realizing she finally admitted who her mentor was, and Din noticed. She knew what other Mandalorians thought of Boba, which was why she was hesitant to reveal his identity to him.

“It’s okay,” he reassured her, “Unlike some of my kin, I hold the highest respect for Clan Fett.”

She smiled at him, nervously. “Thank you, Mando.”

“Din,” he softly replied, “My name is Din.”

Nella looked at him, slightly confused, but then her expression softened with a smile. “Thank you,” she paused, “Din.”

“I know both of your identities. It’s only fair you know mine.”

She leaned forward and grabbed his hand. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“I know.” He leaned forward and turned his hand over as he held onto hers, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. She had revealed so much to him, and he was still harboring a secret from her - one he’d wanted to keep since the second he realized who she was. But if he wanted any form of a relationship with her, he needed to tell her the truth. “Nell,” he breathed, “I need to tell you something.”

Her heart and mind raced as she tried to imagine all of the possible things he was about to admit.

“That night your family…” he trailed off and took a deep breath. “I was there fifteen minutes beforehand.”

“Wh-what?”

“I was given a job by the guild to take out a radical Rebel, Val Jissard.” He saw tears in her eyes as she did her best to listen to the rest of his story. “I was young at the time, my early twenties. I was new to the guild and hungry for success, but when I realized the information I was given was skewed, I left. I saw he had a family. I saw you and your sister hiding in the back room, and I couldn’t go through with it. I couldn’t do that to his children. As I was leaving, I heard the screams and the shots. I saw the Rebels move in, and then I saw them running out with only you. I followed the report for a while, and when I saw you were reported dead along with the rest of your family, I knew there was a cover up.”

She looked away from him and tried to absorb the tears ready to spill over. She didn’t know how to respond to him. “How…how could you keep this from me?” she asked, her voice shaking.

He sighed and placed his other hand over hers, causing her to pull away. “I didn’t know how to tell you,” he replied. Din watched her walls go up as she pulled further away from him and into herself. “Nell,” he breathed, “If I would have known…”

“You were there to kill my father,” she scoffed.

He cocked his head at her, frowning. “It was a _job_ ,” he defended, “you out of all people should understand that.”

Her eyes burned through him as she stared at him in pain. “So, you’re saying if my sisters and I weren’t there, you would have gone through with it?”

“Well…I…” he paused. He would have, but he wasn’t about to admit that to her. “It was a job, Nell.”

Her eyebrows furrowed together. “Stop calling me ‘ _Nell_ ’,” she snapped, standing up, “you would have gone through with it.”

He sat there, letting her get all of the pent up aggression out. It was clear she’d never received any sort of closure for that dark piece of her past, and this was as close as she was ever going to get. “Had you not found some shred of humanity in yourself, you would have been the one who killed my family. Do you have _any_ idea how betrayed I feel?”

He let out a huff and glared up at her. “Actually I do,” he argued. Nella glared at him, blinded by pain and anger. “I don’t know if you forgot, but you tried killing me a couple of days ago.”

She crossed her arms and waited for him to finish. “ _You_ felt betrayed?” she laughed. “You acted like you couldn’t even be bothered by it. Like I meant _nothing_ to you to begin with. You said nothing about it and just let me walk away!“

“I came after you, didn’t I?” He growled, standing now. “Clearly you mean _something_ to me.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. Din felt his heart racing now. He had no choice but to let the facade drop and tell her everything; especially if he wanted to salvage the remainder of this seemingly pleasant night they were having. “What was I supposed to say, _Nell_? I was still trying to cope with what you’d done,” he said breathlessly, “It was like you ran your dagger straight through my chest. It hurt more than you realize, and I don’t have the words to explain it to you. I have been stabbed in the back before, but never by someone like you.”

Nella narrowed her eyes at him. “What does that mean?”

He’d finally entered uncharted waters. He tried to think back to a time where he’d actually told a woman how he felt about her, and he couldn’t think of one. Din was lost on what to say to her; all he could think of was how to show her. “Nell,” he whispered as he reached for her hand, and this time she didn’t pull away. 

Her gaze softened as she looked up at him. “What do you mean ‘someone like me,’ Din?” her voice cracked again.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, moving closer to her. “I think you know,” he sighed, leaning into her, “I think you’ve known for a while now.”

Nella closed her eyes and leaned into his hand that now rested on her cheek. “I need you to tell me,” she said, a tear falling down her cheek.

He glanced over at the little pram to see the child had fallen asleep. Reaching over to the controls on his arm, he closed it, before walking over to his quarters for something. “Din,” she said, his name still feeling foreign as it rolled off her tongue, “what are you doing?”

“Do you trust me?” he replied, moving back in front of her.

“What?”

He rested his hand on her cheek again. “I need to know if you trust me, Nell.”

She gazed up into his helmet through long lashes and nodded. “With my life.” She felt a pang in her chest. Never had she admitted that to anyone before. It went against all of her training, but she could feel it deep in her soul that Din would _never_ do anything to hurt her. 

He held up a piece of dark fabric he clearly ripped from a sheet or something. “Put this over your eyes.”

Without hesitation, she did as he suggested and blindfolded herself. She didn’t say anything, as she waited for whatever he had planned. Din looked at her, his heart racing so fast he was sure it would beat right out of his chest. He was terrified of what her reaction would be if he went through with this, but he couldn’t take it any longer. The fact that she trusted him was almost enough, alone. He watched as a smile played at the corner of her lips while she waited for him to act. His hands shook as he reached up to grab his helmet. Nella heard metal rest against the table, the anticipation killing her. He watched her chew on her bottom lip, and wanted nothing more than to do that himself. She was much more beautiful than through the tinted glass that made his visor. Her skin actually glowed against the artificial light in the Crest. He let out a large, nervous breath before leaning closer to her. “Nell,” he whispered. 

His voice sounded so clear and smooth without his modulator distorting it. It made her weak in the knees as he uttered the single syllable. She reached out and rested her hands on his chest as she felt his arms wrap around her waist to pull her closer. Her hands traveled up his body to rest on his face. She could feel the soft skin that clearly grew some scruff over the last few months. He leaned into her hands, relishing in the feeling of her gentle touch. Din closed his eyes as her thumb lightly rubbed his cheek before her hands found their way into his hair. He brought his one hand up and rested it on the back of her head as he finished closing the gap between them. His lips crashed against hers. His confidence soared, so he decided to take it a step further. Din started toying with her bottom lip until she let him deepen his kiss, which he hungrily did. They soon became a mess of lips, tongues, and teeth as he drew out a soft moan from her. This stirred something in him. He pushed her back against the wall and moved from her mouth to her jaw and down her neck. “Din,” she breathed.

His heart soared as he tossed her legs around his waist. She ran her fingers through his hair, giving him a soft tug as he continued to ravage her. She let out a strained sigh and grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. He grew worried the longer she faced him, while catching her breath. "What’s wrong?” He asked.

“What do you mean ‘someone like me’?” She said in a hushed tone.

He looked at her swollen lips and flesh that he’d spent plenty of time worshipping with a grin. He took a deep breath before saying, “Someone that I willingly took my helmet off for,” he kissed her nose, “someone whom I let touch my face for the first time in years,” he kissed her cheeks, “someone that I’ve grown to care so deeply about.” He craned his face down to hers and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips. 

She smiled against his kiss. “I knew it,” she laughed.

He chuckled and growled as he pressed into her against the wall. With his arms wrapped around her, holding her close, he walked her over to his bed, setting her on the edge. He left her lips for just a second, as he walked back to the table for his helmet, gently setting it on the shelf next to his bed. He stared at her as she patiently waited for him, and he smiled. It’d been too long since he’d had an intimate connection with a woman, especially one he cared so much about. He paused for a second before taking off his armor. It’d been a _long_ time, and he hoped he wouldn’t disappoint her like he had other women in the past. He placed his armor in the weapons storage before returning to her eager lips. She wrapped her arms around him as she leaned back, pulling him on top of her. 

Nella ran her hands over the clothing on his body. It was the first time she could feel him without the cold, metal getting in the way. She kicked her boots off before running her leg up and down Din’s. His hands traveled under her, lifting her off the bed so he could move her further back into the small room. Using a free hand, he reached for the control that brought down the partition, closing them in. Soft, dim light lit the room, allowing him to still see what he was doing. Nella tugged at his shirt, desperately trying to get it off him. “Patience, cyar’ika,” he said, “I plan on showing you, first, exactly what I mean by ‘someone like you.’” 

She giggled and bit her lip, to which he kissed her again. This time deeper than before which drew out another soft moan from her. He tossed his gloves to the side of his bed on the floor, eager to touch her. The nervousness was gone and replaced with a ravenous arousal that he’d kept pent up for a while. His hands slid up under her shirt, feeling her soft, warm skin. She arched her back as she relished in his gentle but hungry touch. His hand stopped just over the scar and he lightly ran his thumb over it, sending chills up and down her spine. Soon, her clothes were gone and he started traveling down her body with kisses. She let out a soft whimper as he kissed the valley between her breasts. He slid further down, moving to the edge of the bed where he could easily throw her legs over his shoulders. He kissed and suckled on the inside of each thigh, so much that he’d left love bites. He grinned up at her and watched her pant with anticipation. He was drunk off her smell the closer he moved in. Nella could feel how close he was, and the muscles in her legs quivered. “Please, Din,” she begged.

She let out a strained groan as his mouth met with her and he ran his tongue up and down her center. Her back arched, but his strong hands immediately flew to her abdomen to keep her from moving. He hummed against her clit, the vibrations driving her mad as he did things to her with his mouth she never thought possible. He moved down, massaging the now sensitive area with his thumb as he took the rest of her with his tongue. Her toes started to curl as she balled up his blankets in her fists, crying and mewling under his touch. “Din,” she breathed.

He stopped for a minute and licked his fingers before inserting one, slowly. Her moan echoed off the walls and she grabbed a fist full of his hair while he continued to suck on her. Din ran circles down her before inserting another finger, massaging and stretching her. “F-f-fuck,” she whispered, her back arching even more. 

He hummed against her again, and that was almost enough to send her over the edge. He curled his fingers, applying the perfect amount of pressure to her as he continued his ministrations. Din had never tasted anything like her before; if she was his last meal, he would die well fed and happy. He danced small, slow circles inside her, feeling her walls starting to clench around his fingers. Her nerves were on fire as a wave of euphoria washed over her. He hungrily lapped up her orgasm as he continued to stimulate her, sending her into a second wave. She cried out his name so loud that he hoped she didn’t wake the kid.

Din cleaned off his fingers before returning to her mouth, letting her taste what he’d done to her. She pulled at his shirt again, desperate to feel his body on hers. He slid his shirt off and tossed it to the side, covering his helmet. Her hands flew to his chest as she committed to memory the feel of him. She could feel a warm, firm chest with bumps that were obvious scars. As her hands ran down his sides, she felt another scar in the same place as hers, and she smiled. His muscles rippled under her touch and chills arose the closer her fingers traveled to his pants. He didn’t stop her as she undid the belt and helped him slide them off. He leaned down, enveloping her with his body as he kissed her again. Her hands ran up and down his back as she felt the strong muscles move. “Din,” she breathed into his ear as his kisses traveled to her jaw and neck.

“Yes, cyar’ika,” he replied.

“I need you.”

He stopped and looked at her. If it wasn’t for his strong conviction he would have ripped the blindfold off to gaze into her beautiful brown eyes. It was as if she read his mind and she rested her hands on the side of his face. “Don’t you dare break your creed for me,” she said, kissing him. 

He grinned at her. “You make it hard not to.”

She pulled him down to her, kissing him deeply. “I need you, Din, inside of me” she breathed against his lips. She wrapped her leg around his, opening herself up for him. 

He gazed down at her again. He’d never been told by any woman he’d been with that she _needed_ him. Actually, they rarely talked. They were mostly annoyed that he never took off his helmet when they fucked. He grabbed a little wrapper out of his drawer and opened it up, tossing the foil to the side before he covered himself. He positioned himself over her and kissed her deeply as he moved inside her. She gasped and he froze for a moment, afraid that he’d hurt her. “Are you okay, cyar’ika?”

She grinned and bit her bottom lip. “You are just,” she grinned wider again, “more than I was expecting.”

He looked at her confused. “Am I hurting you?”

Nella wrapped her legs around him, pulling him close and deeper into her. He let out a stifled groan as he was careful not to hurt her more. “Trust me,” she said, “this kind of pain feels amazing.”

He smiled, moving back just a little and thrusting gently back in. Her fingers dug into his biceps as she bit her lip to silence a loud cry that was ready to rip through her. He let out a deep, guttural growl the more he moved against her. She was so tight around him, and he was almost ready to come from the few movements he’d made. Nella’s head leaned back farther into the pillow with each thrust of his hips against hers. For this hardened bounty hunter, he had the most gentle and soft touch. His skin was so warm, so comforting that she never wanted to feel him any other way again. He picked up their pace a little more, drawing out a plea for more from her. “You feel so good,” he murmured against her lips, kissing her deeply again.

“More, Din,” she whined.

He pulled so far back that he barely remained inside her before thrusting back in, completely sheathing himself. Her cries mixed with his pants filled the quarters as he continued a methodic pace that made them both almost mad. He kissed her deeply again, thrusting faster but careful not to hurt her. He placed his thumb at the edge of her lips, which she wet for him. As he watched her seductively wrap her lips around him, he almost came from the thought of where else he’d like her lips. But he held on, more focused on showing her what she meant to him right now, and storing that thought away for later. He moved his thumb down between them, rubbing her in soft circles. She arched back against the pillow again and moaned. He felt her soft, velvety walls clench around him as her legs began to shake. She was close, and he didn’t think he’d be able to hold on much longer either. Her grip on his arms tightened as she finally had her release. She let out a cry, along with his name, as she felt another wave of pleasure course over her body. She felt him start to pull out before he had his, and she wrapped her legs around him to stop. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to finish,” he replied, slightly confused.

“Yeah, but not outside of me. You’re protected. Let me help you finish.”

He gazed down at her, not moving for a minute. But when he felt her hips grind into his, he moved back into her. She came again and her walls massaged him until he finally had his finish. He groaned her name into her neck, kissing her there again leaving behind a mark. He shuddered against her, moving a few more times to make sure they were both satiated before moving out of her. He rolled over in his bed, onto his back, pulling her onto his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder as her fingers danced across his bare flesh. He gazed down at her, lightly kissing her lips again before letting out a satisfied sigh. 

They laid together in silence for a several minutes, only the sounds of their breathing and the echoes of their moans filling the room. Din couldn’t take his eyes off this beautiful woman in his arms, and he noticed she started to frown. He grew worried that she was like his other encounters and wasn’t satisfied. “Din,” she said,” keeping her head on his shoulder.

“Yes?” he said, his heart starting to race as he prepared for harsh criticism he was used to.

“Why were you going to finish without me?”

“What?”

She sighed and danced her fingers across his chest. “Why were you pulling out?” She asked, now nervous herself. “Was I not…?”

He panicked and realized she was worrying about her ability to please him. He turned over and looked at her, her hand still on his chest. “No, Nella. It’s not you. You were amazing,” he replied, kissing her nose and then her lips. “I’m just used to women telling me to finish on my own.”

She frowned more and moved her hand to his cheek. “Fuck them.” She kissed him again. “I guess I’m going to have to help you break that habit,” she added.

He smiled at her, kissing her again. Din rolled back on to his back, expecting her to curl against him again. But instead, she started feeling around for her clothes. A sight he was used to with his other partners. “Do you need help?” He sighed, realizing she couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

“I just want to be able to find my clothes when we wake up, since I’m blind now,” she giggled.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

She turned to look at him, as if she could see him through her makeshift blindfold. “I am gathering my things so it’s easier in the morning.”

“You’re staying in here tonight?” he asked, more surprised than anything. However, he realized his tone was not received well as she deflated a little.

“I don’t have to if you don’t want me to.” She now furiously tried finding her clothes. “I mean you did get me that nice new cot.”

He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him. Her back was flush against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “If I could keep you right here forever, I would,” he whispered against the back of her neck. “None of my past partners have ever stayed the night. It was like they couldn’t get away from me fast enough.” He cleared his throat. “I was just surprised you _wanted_ to stay.”

She turned in his arms to rest her hand against his cheek, giving him a chaste kiss. “You’ll have to kick me out of here, now,” she smiled, “I think we need to spend sometime breaking these terrible habits you picked up, and expanding on all the phenomenal ones that I highly enjoyed a few minutes ago.”

His hands ran all over her back as one traveled down over her rear to grab her leg and toss it over his hip. “Phenomenal?”

“Mhm,” she hummed, rubbing her nose on his, “It’s been a while since a man has made my toes curl so much that I got a cramp.”

His chest swelled with pride as he kissed her passionately. She used her sore muscles to pull him closer to her as her hands played with the curls at the base of his neck. She was so different from what he was used to. The partners he’d had would use him and leave early every time, allowing him to feel just enough pleasure to help them but then leaving him to his own devices. Then again, the life he led didn’t really introduce him to the most forgiving and generous women. That was, until he met Nellanna Jissard. He had so much that he wanted to admit to her, but he needed more time. He wasn’t ready to tell her everything just yet.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nella and Din are finally comfortable with each other, now that the tension between them has been resolved. They need to find a job to gain more credits so they can restock supplies. People from Din’s past show up and try to cause problems between them. Din makes a difficult decision, one that he thinks Nella will have a hard time accepting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Angst, Violence

Nella stretched and rubbed her eyes before rolling over to press her back into his chest. She felt a deep ache in her muscles that produced a wide grin across her face as she reflected on the long night they’d had. This was the first night in years where she slept soundly. She blinked several times before looking down at the firm, tan hands that were holding her. She grabbed one and traced the inside of his palm with her fingers. She heard him hum with a sigh as she brought his knuckles up to her lips. She pulled his arm closer to her, forcing him to hold her even tighter. She looked at the pile of clothes on the floor and continued to grin even wider at the sight.

 _The sight._ She gasped. _Shit_. She could see. Nella instantly froze and shut her eyes tight as she felt around for her blindfold. “Shit,” she whispered when she couldn’t find it. “Shit.” She didn’t want to wake Din for fear of accidentally seeing him, but she was failing at finding her blindfold with her eyes closed. She rolled so far over that she was certain she wouldn’t see him when he woke up. “Din,” she added softly.

“Hm?” he sleepily replied, pulling her closer to him and nuzzling into her neck.

“Din, wake up,” she said, “but don’t roll me over.”

“Mhm.” He was clearly not listening to her.

“Din,” she sternly said, tugging on his arm.

He grinned and kissed the back of her neck as his hands traveled around the front of her body.

She tried to shrug him off. “Din, I’m serious. Stop it.”

His eyes shot open and a cold chill washed over him, afraid she was done with him. “What’s wrong?”

“My blindfold fell off, and I can’t find it with my eyes closed.”

He relaxed a little into her and sighed. He wrapped his arms around her again, kissing the back of her neck and shoulder as his hands explored the front of her body. Nella started to melt under his touch as one hand massaged her breasts and the other journeyed south to give her a more intimate massage. She started to reach behind her to turn and kiss him when she was reminded of her blindfold. “Din, we need to find my blindfold,” she said, keeping her eyes shut tighter than normal.

He sighed and reached for the blindfold next to his helmet. “I took it off you last night while you slept. I didn’t want it getting lost in the sheets or falling around your neck and choking you while you slept.” 

He tied it for her before she rolled over on her back. She reached for his face and kissed him. “Don’t do that again,” she said, “I don’t want to accidentally break your creed because you can’t keep your hands to yourself.” He laughed at her, feeling that same smile from earlier reach his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he felt happy. “I know you think you’re an ‘expert’ at this, but I know how important that is to you. Don’t throw it away on someone like me,” she added.

“I wouldn’t be throwing it away on you,” he whispered against her lips, “but I appreciate your concern. I’ll leave your blindfold alone from now on, or make sure we turn the lights off before passing out.”

She smiled at him. “I think we should get dressed now. I’m sure the kid is hungry,” she laughed, kissing him.

***

Nella walked over to wake up the kid. He smiled up at her as she cradled him in her arms, looking for something to feed him. Din leaned against the ladder and watched her, smiling at the sight. “You know, I’m sure if Mando over there actually organized his cabinets, I’d be able to find you food faster.” She turned to look at him with a loving smile. “Maybe we can stop somewhere, and I can pick up some of those pre-made lunches for him.”

He nodded. “I’ll look at the systems nearby and try to find one with a decent market,” he replied, as he reluctantly ascended the stairs. 

She sent his pram up with Din and found some snacks for the child before following. Nell strapped him in and sat in her seat behind the pilot’s chair. She watched him drop his head in defeat and let out an exhausted sigh. “What’s wrong?” she asked, standing to rest her hands on his shoulders in an effort to comfort him.

“We need credits,” he said, “We spent the last of them on Peli’s speeder, and I think she charged me double to watch the kid. I need to find work.”

“Don’t you think I should be the one finding work?” she replied, spinning him to look at her. “People will recognize you the second you step off the ship, _especially_ in that new beskar.”

He sighed and shook his head. “It will get back to The Client where Enigma is at. I can’t risk putting you in more danger.”

She frowned at him. “Din,” she whispered, “You out of all people should know that I can take care of myself. If you want to keep me safe, stay on the ship and let me get us some credits. They’re less likely to come after me instead of you. You are walking around as a ‘two for one special’ since they know the kid will be close by.”

His comm pinged and he spun around to answer it. “Mando!” The booming voice rang. She could see a robust man with a long thick beard as a small hologram in front of him. “It’s Ran!”

“Shit,” he mumbled. “What do you want?”

“How would you like to make a few extra credits?” he grinned. “I hear things between you and the Guild aren’t working out, so I figured you’d be in the need of some work.”

Din sighed and glared at the blue hologram in front of him. It was like the universe was laughing in his face. He needed a job, but not one with this crew. “What’s the job?”

“I’ll give you more information when you get here. Just like old times,” he chuckled.

He looked back at Nella who was intently waiting to hear his decision. Din turned back to the hologram. “Hold on,” he added, turning it off and placing the call on hold. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Din spun his seat around and grabbed her hand. “These are some people from my past; a past I wish would stay buried. They’re awful people, but their jobs usually pay really well. They’re under the radar, so I won’t be out in the public eye.”

She smiled at him. “Are you asking my opinion?”

He nodded. “And permission. Mainly, because the ship would be docked at their station and I’ll be gone on a job.”

She sighed and squeezed his hand. “If you think it’s a decent opportunity, take it.”

Din glanced over at the kid who was content with the little metal ball he’d stolen from the control panel. “We need credits, Nell.”

She nodded. “Do you trust these people to give you the money?”

“I don’t trust these people, period.”

Nella leaned back in her chair. “The kid and I will lock down the ship and stay hidden, in case they start to get curious.” She gazed at him, worried. “But if I suspect any foul play or a hint that they’re double crossing you…”

He laughed. “They’ll never know what hit them.”

She frowned. “I’m serious, Din. Did you think I was shooting at Shand for fun?”

“I thought you just missed shooting at me,” she could tell he was grinning behind his helmet. 

Nella rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Just be careful with them.”

He leaned forward and pulled her closer to him, touching his helmet to her forehead. “Don’t worry, cyar’ika, I’ll make it back to both of you.”

Din turned around and returned to the call. “I’ll be there soon,” he said.

“Excellent!” Ran exclaimed. “The crew is already here waiting.”

The call ended and Din dropped his head. He didn’t even want to imagine who Ranzar Malk found for a crew, but he prayed it wasn’t anyone else from the past. He entered the coordinates to their station and set the new course. 

***

The Razor Crest docked in the hangar bay. He descended the ladder and found Nella making the kid comfortable in his quarters. “That way if they do come on the ship, they have no idea about him,” she said.

“What about you?” he asked, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. 

“I’ll be fine,” she smiled, “ _We_ will be fine.”

He rested his hand on her cheek and walked down the loading ramp to an eager Malk waiting for him. She grabbed her blasters and placed them in the holster she took from Enigma’s suit and then strategically placed a few blades on her. If it really came down to it, she had Din’s entire arsenal at her disposal as well. She gazed down the ramp and smiled at the thought of Din. 

“So, what’s the job?” she heard him ask. They weren’t too far from the ship, and she couldn’t help but eavesdrop. She wanted to be ready in case this was a trap.

“Yeah, one of our associates ran afoul of some competitors and got himself caught. So I’m putting together a crew to spring him. It’s a five person job, I got four. All I need is the ride, and you brought it,” Ran replied. 

She froze when she realized the Crest wasn’t staying in the hangar. “Shit,” she said to herself. She started looking around for her things, already making plans to hide with the kid.

“The ship wasn’t part of the deal,” Din sternly replied.

“Well, the Crest is the only reason I let you back in here.”

Din looked back towards the ship and then back to Ran, annoyed. There was no way to keep Nell and the kid out of harm’s way with them on the ship in the middle of the job. He sure as hell wasn’t going to leave them here with Ran and the crew on this station. “Hey, Mayfeld!”

A bald man turned to look in their direction. “Yeah?” He started approaching them.

“This is Mando. The guy I was telling you about. We used to do jobs way back when,” Malk chuckled, slapping Din’s shoulder.

Mayfeld looked Din over with disgust. “This is the guy?”

“Yeah, we were all young, trying to make a name for ourselves. Yeah, but running with a Mandalorian, that was… that brought us some reputation.”

“Oh ya?” He huffed and folded his arms. “What did he get out of it?”

“I asked him that one time,” he continued to chuckle as he thought back to a dark time in Din’s history. “You remember what you said, Mando? Target practice. Target practice. Man, we did some crazy stuff, didn’t we?”

He prayed she couldn’t hear them, but he knew better. Nella was definitely listening, waiting to hear for a sign that she needed to cover him. Now, she was learning about his past in the worst way possible; from people who would glorify it instead of condemn him. “That was a long time ago,” he growled, signaling they should let it go.

Nella grabbed her suit and tossed in with the kid, who instantly waddled to her helmet that rolled out of her bag. She held up her finger to her mouth when he gazed back at her. She could still hear their conversation just outside the ship, annoyed with Mayfeld and Ran, who were clearly trying to push Din’s buttons. She locked up Din’s quarters and returned to her position near the door to listen.

“Droid’s name is Zero,” she heard Mayfeld say.

Din seethed when he saw the droid approaching them. He didn’t want that thing anywhere _near_ Nella and the kid. He was willing to put it aside for the job, but he didn’t trust it with the two beings he held close. “I thought you said you had four,” he noted, seeing only three party members.

“He does,” a familiar voice spat from behind him.

He felt an icy chill wash over him as he turned to see a purple Twi’lek approaching him while she played with her knife. Nella was about to learn a lot more about him. “Hello, Mando.”

“Xi'an,” he coldly replied.

She ran at him and held her knife to his throat. He hoped Nella couldn’t see, because he knew she’d be out there in a second with a blaster mark in the ground where Xi’an stood. “Tell me why I shouldn’t cut you down where you stand?” she hissed.

Nella saw the Twi’lek holding the knife to him. She pulled out her blaster, ready to fire if she so much as flinched. “Nice to see you too,” Din said, standing stone still.

Xi’an laughed at him. “I missed you,” she grinned and tapped her knife against his beskar. “This is shiny. You wear it well.”

Nella saw her bite her lip as she took in Din’s appearance. She felt a pang of jealousy as she put the pieces together and realized the relationship she had with Din. She tightened her grip on her blaster, and she saw him flinch a little. He knew she was watching them and was ready to murder Xi’an.

“Do we need to leave the room or something?” Mayfeld scoffed.

Ran looked between the two and ordered, “All right, lovebirds. Break it up till you get on the ship. Right now, we don’t have much time.”

Din relaxed a little when Xi’an backed off. They started walking away to work on a plan when he saw Zero head for the ship. He turned to lunge at the droid and stop him, but Burg grabbed him. “Not so fast, tiny,” he said.

“What’s the droid doing?” he barked.

“Still not a fan of droids are you?” Xi’an laughed.

“Relax, Mando,” Ran said, “he’s just going to check out the ride and make sure she’s ready for the mission.”

Nella froze when she saw the droid approaching on the ramp. She quickly moved to the ladder and ascended, deciding to hide in the engine room. She left the door cracked a little so she could watch. He was clearly running schematics on the ship, but she froze when he brought up a transmission from Greef Karga. She couldn’t quite make out what it said, as it was heavily distorted. She rested her hand on her blaster and waited for Zero to leave the cockpit. The breath left her body when she saw him run a scan on the ship. He was about to find her. And the kid. She couldn’t allow that to happen, so she walked out of the engine room with her blaster drawn. “Freeze, droid,” she said, “What are you doing?”

He turned to her with his weapon drawn. “I am Zero, and my job is to pilot this vessel. I do believe you are a stowaway on this ship and will therefore surrender yourself. As you can see, you are outnumbered here. You may kill me, but they will never let you out of this station,” he said in his very distorted robotic voice.

She would agree to almost anything just to get him off the ship and away from the kid. She holstered her blaster and raised her hands while Zero escorted her off the Crest. She glanced over to make sure that the door was still closed and the droid had no idea about the child. She breathed a sigh of relief and continued down the ramp with her hands behind her head.

“So, package is being moved on a fortified transport ship,” Mayfeld instructed, as he pulled up ship schematics, “Now, we got a limited window to board, find our friend, get'im outta there, before they make their jump.”

“That’s a New Republic prison ship. Your man wasn’t taken by a rival syndicate, he was arrested,” Din said, before noticing movement by his ship. He froze when he saw Zero had her at gunpoint. He grabbed his blaster, ready to blow a hole through the droid’s central processing unit. “What the fuck is this?” he growled.

“Ran,” Zero called, “I apprehended a stowaway on board. She’s hostile and heavily armed.”

She sneered and rolled her eyes at the droid. Xi’an let out a shrill laugh and bounced past Din to her, flipping her knife in her hands. “And who is this, _Mando_?” she asked, circling around her.

“I’m his engineer,” Nella replied, looking at him with a stern expression.

“Engineer, huh?” Mayfeld said, approaching, “We could use an engineer.”

“Absolutely not,” Din interrupted.

Xi’an flashed a devilish grin over to him. She lunged at Nella from behind and held the knife to her throat, running it softly up and down. “You don’t know who you’re messing with,” Nella viciously whispered.

“Oh, I do, sweetheart,” she hissed into her ear, “Mando works alone. He’s not going to do anything to stop me.”

“She’s not talking about me,” Din said, trying not to lunge at Xi’an for even thinking about hurting Nella.

The Twi’lek laughed a shrill laugh in her ear. “I’m not afraid of an _engineer_.”

Nella grinned at Din and gave him a wink, before proving to Xi’an that she had more to worry about than she thought. Nella grabbed her wrist with her left hand, before raising her right arm to pin Xi’an’s elbow and prevent movement. She then rotated inward into her arm, while twisting it behind her back, forcing Xi’an to drop the knife. Nella kicked it away, towards Din. “You were saying?” Nella said into her ear.

Xi’an hissed at her and glared at Din while she tried to wiggle free. Nella released her, pushing her forward towards the rest of the crew. He all too eagerly went to Nella’s side to inspect her neck for marks. “I’m fine,” she whispered, grabbing his hands and moving them away from her. She cleared her throat and nodded in their direction. He didn’t care that he had an audience, he would kill every last one of them if they thought about putting their hands on her. 

“Looks like you’ve been replaced, Xi’an,” Mayfeld laughed.

She glared at Din and hissed again. “She’ll be a distraction if we bring her,” she said to Ran.

Din’s heart raced.

“You’re right. Mando, she stays here with me,” he ordered.

He grabbed her and forced her to stand behind him. “She stays with me,” he demanded, “you need my ship. If you want a deal, she stays with me.”

Ran crossed his arms and stared at him. “Is that right?”

Din felt that chill he had earlier returned. Something told him that they weren’t going to let Nella leave with him on the job. She rested her hand on his shoulder to keep him calm as they waited for Ran to finish.

“It would be a shame if the guild found your coordinates, or even the New Republic,” he continued, “I think it would be best if you left her here for collateral. Don’t worry, she’ll be safe with me.” He winked at them. “You can trust me.”

Din turned and looked at her. She could feel his gaze burning through his helmet. “I’ll be fine,” she said, resting her hand on the side. “Everything is secure on the ship. If he tries anything, you know I’ll handle it. Just do the job and hurry back.”

“Zero,” Ran ordered, motioning him to cuff Nella. 

Din shook his head and grabbed the droid’s throat. “Mando,” she whispered, putting her hand on his arm. He looked over at her and lowered his arm. She held her wrists out for Zero to put some cuffs on. He glanced down at them and then up at her. “I’ll see you soon,” she smiled at him and gave him a wink.

He turned and watched her follow Zero over to Ran, anger coursing through his body. He trusted that she hid the kid well on the ship, that he was safe, and that she revealed herself to Zero for a reason. But watching a droid hold her captive was one of his worst nightmares. Xi’an walked over to their hostage after she picked up her knife. She looked at Din over her shoulder before holding the tip of the blade to Nella’s throat again, applying just a little pressure this time. He saw a small drop of blood stream down her neck, and he started to take a step forward, but Nella held up her hands to stop him. “Don’t worry,” Xi’an said, “I’ll take good care of him while we’re away.”

Nella glared at her. “I’m not worried,” she spat back, leaning into her knife a little more, “but if he isn’t returned to me in one piece, _you_ should be.”

Din smiled at her under his helmet, even though the blood dripping down her neck was driving him insane. “Xi’an,” he warned, “lower your knife.”

She seethed at him and lowered her blade. Ran approached and grabbed her hand. “Ranzar Malk,” he said, lightly kissing her knuckles. “And you are?”

“Anadme Vane,” she said.

“Vane?” Ran said, raising an eyebrow at her and glaring at the rest of them. “Not a common last name,” he added. “Do you know a Finon Vane?”

She felt cold all of the sudden. “I don’t have any family,” she said, “it might be a distant relative.” Din tensed at the name, immediately recognizing it. He continued to watch Nella, no - Enigma answer the interrogation. “If my father was still alive, I’d have to ask him. I’ve never heard of him.”

Ran nodded his head. “Well, Miss Vane, you’ll be in good hands here while we wait for Mando to come back.”

“Then, are these cuffs necessary?”

He looked at the crew. “Get going. Time is of the essence.”

Mayfeld nodded and left with Burg, Zero, and Xi’an behind him. Din delayed, gazing back at her one last time before boarding the ship. Nella followed Ran as they watched the Razor Crest leave the hangar bay. For the first time in a long time, she felt fear. She was afraid of what would happen to Din and The Child without her there. She didn’t trust this crew, Xi’an especially. The second they jumped to hyperspace, she felt her heart break just a little. “Don’t worry,” Ran said, “they’ll take good care of your Mandalorian. Xi’an will make sure of that.”

“Yeah, she better keep her dirty hands off him if she knows what’s good for her,” she mumbled.

***

Din hopped down from the ladder to see Burg snooping around his things. He reached over and closed his weapons storage. Furious, Burg reached over to open the release to Din’s room, where he figured the kid was still being hidden. Din grabbed his arm and stared down the Devaronian. Mayfeld sensed a fight ready to break out, and so he quickly stood up to separate them. “ Hey, hey, hey. Okay. Okay. Okay, I get it. I’m a little particular about my personal space too. So let’s just do this job. We get in, we get out, and you don’t have to see our faces anymore,” he offered.

Burg huffed and shuffled away. “Someone tell me why we even need a Mandalorian.”

“Well,” Mayfeld added, with disdain dripping from his voice, “apparently they’re the greatest warriors in the galaxy. So they say.”

“Then why are they all dead?” This drew out a burst of laughter from the rest of the crew, except for Din. He glared at each of them, reminding himself he was doing this for Nella and the kid. They desperately needed the money. He wasn’t about to let them down.

Mayfeld turned to the Twi’lek. “Well, you flew with him, Xi'an. Is he as good as they say?”

She let out a shrill laugh. “Ask him about the job on Alzoc III.”

Din remembered that job and shuddered at the memory. It was something he hoped he’d never have to share with Nella, because he was afraid it would push her even farther away from him. He wasn’t even sure if she forgave him for her family. “I did what I had to,” he stoically replied.

She moved in closer to him. “Oh, but you liked it. See, I know who you really are.” She flicked his beskar chestplate. “Does your little _engineer_ even know about that?” 

Din stood stock still and refused to answer her.

She grinned and ran her tongue over her teeth. “She doesn’t. I wonder what she would think of you if she knew who you really are beneath that helmet.”

“He never takes off the helmet?” Mayfeld asked, looking between the two of them.

She shook her head and returned to her seat before mockingly replying, “This is the way.”

Mayfeld laughed and turned his attention back to the Mandalorian. “Hmm… I wonder what you look like under there. Maybe he’s a Gungan. Is that why…yousa don’t wanna show your face?” Burg and Xi’an burst into laughter at Din’s expense. “Xi’an, you ever seen his face?”

She feigned offense and looked at Din before answering. “A lady never tells,” she said. “Has your engineer? Is she your riduur?”

“I bet he keeps it on even then,” Burg added with a loud laugh.

“Aw, come on, Mando. We all gotta trust each other here,” Mayfeld chided, “You gotta show us something. Come on, just lift the helmet up. Come on. Let’s all see your eyes.” 

He looked at Burg who made a move to get closer to Din. “I’ll do–

Din grabbed Burg’s hand hard and twisted his arm on his back. Burg tried to fight back, but Din kicked him away, and as Burg searched for something to hold onto, he hit the release button for Din’s room. Suddenly, the hatch opened, revealing the Child playing with another helmet that vaguely resembled a Mandalorian one. Mayfeld gasped and glared at him. “Whoa! What is that? You get lonely up here, buddy? Huh? Wait a minute…” he looked between Xi’an and Din. “Did you two make that? Huh? What is it? Like…a pet or something?”

“Yeah. Something like that,” Din huffed, watching Mayfeld cautiously as he picked the kid up.

Xi’an moved forward and walked in front of him, grabbing the helmet. “Didn’t take you for the type. Maybe that code of yours has made you soft,” she laughed. She inspected the helmet the kid was playing with. “Mayfeld, I’ve seen this helmet before.”

“Holy shit,” he said. “His engineer is Enigma!”

Xi’an let out her signature shrill laugh. “What makes you say that? For all we know, he killed Enigma and took her helmet as a trophy.”

“Use your context clues, Xi,” Mayfeld barked, “she clearly has some fighting skills if she could kick your ass. Her armor is in his room.” 

She grinned at him, surprised. “Are you fucking Enigma?” She laughed again. “Isn’t there some sort of bounty out for her?”

Din flinched and stepped threateningly forward. “It will be the last thing you do,” he growled at her.

For the first time in a while, he saw fear in her eyes and a hint of jealousy. “Where was this fire when you left us?”

Zero’s voice rang through the ship’s comms. “Dropping out of hyperspace…now.”

***

Nella sat on a stool in her cuffs next to Ran who was busy going through various pucks that were obvious future jobs. She kept a watchful eye on the hangar bay where the Crest left. She’d never been so afraid before; afraid that she’d never see him or the kid again. _This is why I keep everyone at arm’s length,_ she thought. Not that she regretted letting him get close. Honestly, she enjoyed it. He made her realize how empty and lonely her life had been.

Ran looked at her over his glasses. “How long have you known Mando?” he asked.

She glanced back at him. “Couple of months, maybe. You?”

He chuckled and looked at a tablet in front of him. “Me? Oh, Mando and I go _way_ back,” he said, “and in that whole time, I’ve never known him to take on a crew.”

“Yeah? Well, he needed an engineer that knew more than he did about repairing the Crest,” she said, glaring at him.

“Mhm,” he said. “Anadme, right?”

Nella looked at him and nodded.

“Where are you from?”

She rolled her eyes. “Why are you so curious about my background?”

He sighed and set his tablet down. “Honestly? I’m trying to figure out what makes you so special to him. Maybe even use you as a bargaining chip so we don’t have to pay him.”

She tensed and glared at him. “If you even think about double crossing him, he will be the _least_ of your concerns.”

Ran smiled. “I also want to know more about the woman who bested my best.”

“Let’s just say, growing up on the streets really helped me hone my skills.”

“Really? Then, why are you an engineer? This is a very lucrative business that pays better than whatever he’s paying you.”

She tensed and refused to answer.

“Unless of course there’s another reason you’re with him,” he added, giving her a knowing look.

“None of which concerns you,” she said through her teeth.

“Touched a nerve, did I?” He chuckled. “Well this certainly is a side of him I didn’t even know existed. I’m pretty sure he and Xi’an were just for convenience purposes.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

He chuckled. “I think that’s a conversation for the two of you, if you ever get the chance.” Ran looked over at her and noticed she was sitting and staring out of the hangar. “You never answered my question.”

“Naboo,” she lied, “I lived there with my grandmother until she died and then ran away from home on a freighter.”

“And how did you two meet?”

“Zero called me a stowaway, and that’s what I am.”

“And what did you say your name was again?” he asked, looking at her suspiciously.

“Anadme Vane.”

“Strange,” he said, “I can’t find any record of Anadme Vane anywhere.”

She rolled her eyes. “Then try Anadme Corrend, it’s my grandmother’s last name. She hated my father, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she legally changed my name.”

Nella watched him type away on his tablet until she saw her alias appeared on the screen. “Ah, yes, here we go. There’s a warrant out for your arrest on Naboo for petty theft. You stole a speeder bike and a few credits.”

“From my grandmother.” _Damn, Boba was efficient._ She knew the story but never accessed the files that he’d created on her.

“And your grandmother’s name is…?”

“You don’t believe my story, do you?” she noted.

He sighed and set his tablet on the table again. “In my line of work, you have to be careful. Now, grandmother?”

She sighed. “Lina Corrend from Theed.” She situated herself on the stool she was perched and rested her cuffed hands on the table. “Are these really necessary?”

He huffed. “Considering I saw you take down Xi’an, yes.”

She looked around and saw how some of the other crew on the station were staring - watching her. She felt like she was being stalked, like she was their prey. _Hurry back here, Din, before I kill an entire station._

***

He was still seething with anger at Xi’an for killing the New Republic officer when they arrived at cell 221. At this point, he wanted this mission from hell to end. He’d been away from Nella for too long, and was already afraid of what Ran let his crew do to her. He knew she could take care of herself, but she was grossly outnumbered there. _If they harm one hair on her head,_ he thought.

Mayfeld’s voice brought him out of his daze. “Zee, open it up.”

“You have 15 minutes remaining,” the droid reminded them.

“Open it up!”

As the cell door opened, Din saw a man he thought he’d never see again. A Twi’lek he actually _hoped_ he’d never see again. “Qin…”

He walked out of the cell, looking the exact same as the day Din last saw him. He laughed when he laid eyes on his rescuer. “Funny. The man who left me behind is now my saviour. Mando.”

Din tensed and moved to step forward and confront Qin when he felt Burg punch him in the stomach. He was caught off guard as the Devaronian threw him into the empty cell. He attempted to fire his blaster at them, but the door closed too rapidly, causing the charge to ricochet around the cell. “Fuck,” he mumbled as he watched the others run off, back to his ship. He banged his hand on the cell door, angry at himself more than anything. Nell and the kid were now at their mercy, if he couldn’t escape from this prison. Xi’an would have a field day torturing Nell, _especially_ since she knew that she’s important to him. 

He looked at the control panel on his arm that was linked with his ship. With Zero tapped in, he could easily lock him out of the remote. He pictured the child waiting for him to return, only to be sold off by this crew for the highest bidder. “Dammit!” he roared. 

He saw red as he remembered what Xi’an already did to Nell, the blood running down her throat as they held her in handcuffs. Things were only going to get worse for her, and he was scared. He knew why he was scared of losing both of them, but he wasn’t ready to fully admit that to himself yet. All he could say was that he wasn’t ready to live a life without either of them in it just yet. The kid was under his protection, and therefore it was his job to keep him safe. As for Nell, she was the best thing that’d ever happened to him. He was thankful he ran across her on Sorgan, and he never wanted to go back to the life he was leading before her. Pure determination coursed through his veins. He would break out of this prison and return to both of them if it was the last thing he ever did. 

He saw a security droid doing rounds as it passed by his cell. He activated his grapple and reeled it against the cell door. The droid stuck it’s arm behind him, in an attempt to shoot at its assailant. However, Din managed to disarm it completely to unlock the cell door from inside. He stood in the cell doorway looking both ways for a second. They were going to pay for what they did to him, he just needed to decide how.

***

With Burg out of the way, next on his list was Xi’an. The lights flickered at a steady pace as he quickly made his way through the prison hold. If he could apprehend Xi, he wouldn’t need to worry about what happened to Nell. Stealthily, he made his way along long corridor passages, heading in the direction he believed she ran. He stopped around the corner when he heard her speaking into her comms link. “Zero…where is he?”

He grinned to himself. The signal was jammed and all communication was cut off from the ship. She was on her own down here. He slid into the hallway at the end with his blaster drawn. She screamed at him and threw a knife, knocking his blaster out of his hand. She threw another that he dodged enough to force it off of his beskar. She threw one more, as he ran towards her that slipped between the breastplate and pauldron, burying deep into his left shoulder. Thanks to his adrenaline, he couldn’t feel it. But he knew, the minute he was relaxed, it would hurt like a bitch. 

Xi’an kicked at him, which he blocked and swept her foot out from under her. She hit the ground hard and rolled away. “She’ll be in good hands with Ran,” she spat, “You’re out here fighting a losing battle. Enigma will fit right in with our crew.”

Din ignored her chiding and swung at her. 

“Unless of course he sells her into slavery or over to the guild. That bounty on her head is high, and we are always looking for a quick credit. I’m sure that kid of yours will make a lot on the market.”

He gritted his teeth together and forced her into a corner with a knife at her throat. “You’re coming with me,” he growled.

Xi’an struggled against his grip as he turned her around and held her wrists behind her back. He forced her forward until they were back in front of cell 221. “What are you doing, Mando?” she exclaimed. “Ran won’t stand for this.”

“You think I give a shit what Ran wants?” He opened the cell door and shoved her in, forcing her to land on the unconscious Devaronian. “You’re getting _exactly_ what you deserve.”

***

After he shot Zero and forced Qin into a passenger seat, he set the coordinates for Ran’s station. His shoulder started to throb as the pain from his injury started to wear through the adrenaline. He left the blade in there to stop it from bleeding profusely. _Nella is going to be so pissed._ He chuckled at the thought and could almost hear her now. “I’m going to kill that Twi’lek bitch. I don’t care if she’s in a New Republic prison. Take me there so I can kill her myself!”

“Something funny, Mando?” Qin asked as he tried to break free of his restraints.

Din didn’t bother turning to answer him as he jumped to hyperspace. “You’ll see.”

The trip back seemed to take longer than necessary. The anticipation of getting Nella back was killing him. He just wanted her safely aboard the Crest and as far away from Ran and his crew as he could possibly get. 

***

Ran’s crew had set up a little fighting arena in the middle of the ships and forced Nella in the middle. It was the only way Ran was going to let her out of those cuffs. “No weapons,” he said, “but no rules either.”

She grimaced at the opponent they chose for her. “Great.”

He was a large, hulking man that was every bit of twice her size. “Mando is not going to be happy when he sees this,” she warned.

“Mando’s not coming back, sweetheart,” Ran laughed, “he’s currently rotting in a cell.”

Her eyes grew wide. They’d stabbed him in the back, left him for dead on the prison ship; now, they were going to kill her in this makeshift fighting ring. 

Her opponent caught her off guard and threw her into some crates used as a boundary. She rolled away and stood up. She would have speed and agility on her side at least. He swung his fists at her, and she ducked. He swung again, and she blocked. This gave her an advantage to roundhouse him. She saw a few teeth fly out of his mouth when she regained her balance. The crowd that had gathered were cheering and shouting; she was also pretty sure she saw some making bets. 

Her opponent wiped the blood dripping down his chin and moved in to grapple her. She ducked and slid under him, hopping onto his back to wrap her legs around his neck. One of the best pieces of advice Boba ever gave her was to use her opponent’s weight against them. So, while he clawed at her legs that were cutting off his airways, she leaned back far enough to take him to the ground. She released him and crawled on top of him, pinning his arms down with her legs as she continuously beat him in the face. 

When he was sufficiently unconscious, she cautiously stood up and glared around the group. “Does anyone else want to give it a go?” she screamed, wiping the blood of her forehead.

Another guy entered the ring, this time with a knife. “Oh, big man needs a weapon against a woman?” she teased.

He ran at her with his knife out in front and she blocked his attack, sending his arm past her before she grappled him and held him in an arm lock. She pulled the knife from his hands and stabbed him in the right shoulder. He let out a scream as she removed the weapon and kicked him forward. “Next!” She beckoned, holding the knife in her hand.

Another man ran forward with a crowbar, beginning her third round of fighting.

***

Din landed the Razor Crest, forcing Qin to follow him directly off the ship. He didn’t want him snooping around and finding the kid. He all but pushed him down the ramp when he’d seen a crowd gathered in a circle, cheering. As he pushed Qin closer, he saw Nell fighting for her life against an opponent with a crowbar. “Ran!” he exclaimed, seeing him across the way.

Ran looked up and saw Mando with Qin now at gunpoint. He hurried over with a laugh. “She’s something else, isn’t she?” he asked.

“Get her out of there _right now_ , or I’ll end his existence!” he roared.

Ran rolled his eyes and whistled, stopping the fight taking place. However, with her opponent distracted, Nell jumped and kicked the man in the face, sending him into the large man already unconscious on the floor. She ran straight to Din when she saw him and clung to his side. “We aren’t leaving without our payment, Ran,” she asserted.

Qin sighed. “I promised him everyone’s share, too.”

Ran looked behind Din. “Where are the others?”

Din undid Qin’s cuffs. “No questions asked. That’s the policy, right?”

Ran laughed and nodded. “Yeah. That is the policy.”

He wrapped his arm tight around Nell, holding her close to him. “I did the job.”

“Yeah you did,” he replied, tossing Din a bag full of credits.

“Just like the good old days.”

“Yeah, just like the good old days.”

Din turned with Nell next to him, helping her back to the Razor Crest. He noticed she walked with a little bit of a limp, but said nothing. They were about to get what was coming to them, too. Once they were on board, he quickly closed the hold doors and moved up the ladder. She buckled in and watched him leave the hangar faster than normal. Just as they were starting to move a safe distance away from the station, Nell saw three X-Wing Fighters appear. “Din,” she gasped, “what did you do?”

“They’re getting exactly what they deserve,” he coldly replied. 

She watched as the X-Wings flew past them and destroyed the station. She couldn’t help but agree with him. Once they jumped to hyperspace, she leaned back against her seat and sighed. He spun around to look at her, grabbing her hand in his. They didn’t say anything, but instead enjoyed the silence together. He watched her close her eyes and catch her breath, her chest rising and falling at uneven rates. She was covered in new bruises and cuts from her fight, but the one that bothered him the most was the cut on her neck from Xi’an. He reached up and ran his finger delicately across it and sighed. If she stayed with him, she would constantly be in harm’s way. She and the kid both. The only thing he could do now was to find a planet deep in the Outer Rim and leave them there. The credits from this job were enough to set them up comfortably for a while. They’d be safe, because the Imps would be hunting him. He cared so much about both of them that he’d rather them be alive and safe without him than in constant danger with him. Now, he just needed to find a way to tell Nell all of this and force her to agree with him.

**Translations**

  * _Riduur - Partner/Spouse_




	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din wants to keep Nella and the kid safe, and the only way to do that is to convince her to leave him. Din admits something to Nella she wasn’t ready for, causing her to question what it is they’re doing, what she is doing. Nella sees a ghost from her past as they stop for supplies on Ryloth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Angst, Smut, Soft!Din, Domestic!Din, Pining

“We need to get you downstairs so I can clean up those cuts,” Din said, wiping some blood off her lip. 

He stood up and winced. Nella heard him gasp in pain and gazed up at him. “Din,” she said cautiously, “What’s wrong?” She watched as he reached for his left shoulder and pulled a small throwing knife out from between his breastplate and pauldron. Din looked at her, almost laughing as he saw the fire burning in her eyes. “I’m going to kill that Twi’lek bitch!” She exclaimed, standing up to examine his wound. Blood was pouring out of it. “I don’t care if she’s in a New Republic prison. Take me there so I can kill her myself!”

“You know, you said exactly what I thought you were going to say,” he chuckled.

“This isn’t funny, Din. I doubt your First-Aid kit has supplies to help me fix this!” She forced him out of the cockpit and down the ladder. “Sit,” she ordered.

He chuckled and started removing his armor, but it caused shooting pains in his arm. He watched her walk over to his quarters and grab her bag. “Maybe I have something in my bag that can help.” She held the kid in one hand and set him on the table. He watched both of them with great curiosity as she gently, but quickly, removed Din’s armor. “Will your shirt fit over your helmet or am I going to have to cut it off you?”

He stood. “I’ll go remove it,” he added, the pain wearing on him now. She helped him walk to the bathroom where he could safely remove his shirt while keeping his creed intact. He opened the door and made his way back to the table.

“Holy shit, Din,” she said, gently touching the puckered and bloodied flesh. “I don’t have the supplies to properly heal this. We need a doctor.”

He shook his head. “Just stitch it up,” he groaned in pain, “I’ll be fine.”

She started cleaning the wound and tried to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, but she was running out of paper towels. “It looks like she missed important arteries, but she did some damage to your muscle,” Nella added. “We really need to see a doctor.”

Din grabbed her hand and glanced up at her. “Nell, I’ve had worse cuts. Believe me. I’m going to be fine.”

She stared at his wound again, anger flooding her veins. “That bitch. Just wait until I get my hands on her skinny little neck,” she grumbled to herself.

Din smiled. He was sure if she could see it, she would have slapped it right off his face. But this was the first time he’d ever have someone care about him like this. He enjoyed it, actually. He placed his hand over hers to help her apply pressure to the wound when they both saw The Child waddle across the table towards Din with his hand stretched out. Nella watched him as he placed his hand on Din’s shoulder and closed his eyes. They both saw the flesh start to stitch itself back together and the blood absorb back into his skin. Her eyes grew wide when she realized why this kid was so special. She instantly started inspecting the area where the wound once was. It was like it never existed. “Din,” she whispered, looking at the kid, “I think I know why the Imps want him.”

He nodded. “I know,” he replied, “the Kid has special powers.”

Her eyes darted back to Din. “Um, you could say that, or you could say he is a Jedi.”

The kid cooed before sitting down, exhausted.

“A…jedi?” he repeated, confused.

“You know, the Force, lightsabers…” she trailed off when she realized he didn’t know what she was talking about. “They must have kept you really sheltered as a kid. I met one, a few times when I was a child. My father, when he joined the rebels, frequently worked with a few of them. They were wiped out after The Clone Wars.”

They both looked at the kid, again, who was on the verge of falling asleep. Nella grabbed him and placed him in the bed Din had made him so he would be more comfortable. She gazed at him for a minute, smiling at the pendant she gave him still around his neck. She turned when Din stood up, his shirt in his hand. “If that’s the case,” he said, turning with his back to her, “then we need to hide him or find these Jedi.”

Nella quickly turned around when she saw him removing his helmet to put his shirt back on. “The Jedi are impossible to find. Like I said,” she continued, “they were wiped out. There is no Jedi Order. The ones that are left are spread out throughout the galaxy. We’ll never find them.”

Din grabbed her hand and turned her toward him. He was fully dressed again, except for the rest of his armor. “Then, we need to hide him.”

She nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“Great. Then, you should like the rest of my plan,” he nervously replied. She frowned at him and folded her arms, waiting for him to continue and almost certain she was going to hate the rest of his plan. “You said it earlier, they’re going to be looking for me. I stick out like a sore thumb with my beskar armor. But you? They’ll never look for Nellanna Jissard,” he breathed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before caressing her cheek, “You need to take the kid and run. Hide somewhere that not even I can find you.”

Her eyes widened and pushed his hand away from her. “Are you out of you damn mind?”

“It’s the best option, Nell,” he sighed, “it’s the only way I can keep both of you safe. They will chase me while you and the kid hide. The credits from this job are enough to help you get started and keep you comfortable.”

“It won’t work, Din,” she countered, “they found him on Sorgan, they’ll find him somewhere else. He’s not going to be safe until we take out the Client. Besides, I’m not leaving _you_.”

He shook his head. “Nella, the only way to keep you safe is to keep you away from me. I have a target on my back. I would rather you be safe without me than in danger with me.” He held up his hand to interrupt her. “And before you say ‘I can take care of myself,’ I want you to know that’s not the point. I know you can, but I don’t want you to get hurt.” He reached out and ran his thumb over the cut Xi’an gave her. “I’ll never forgive myself if you do.”

“Nothing will happen to me,” she whispered, resting her hand on his helmet, “you’re too stubborn to let them get near me.” She tried to chuckle a little to lighten the mood.

“Oh yeah?” he said, motioning at her physical state, “I couldn’t stop Ran from throwing you in the ringer.”

She grinned, rubbing his arm in an attempt to ease him. “That was completely my own doing.”

Din took a deep breath. “Nell, I can’t lose either of you.”

“Then, don’t send us away,” she leaned her forehead against his.

He shook his head. “You don’t understand,” he firmly added, “I cannot lose you. I lost everything I loved before; I cannot go through that again.”

Her head snapped up, wondering if she heard him right. “Din…”

Din rested his hands on her face. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, cyar’ika,” he whispered, his voice cracking in his modulator.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his left hand, already regretting what she was about to say. “Din,” she breathed, “I’m not ready to say that, yet.”

He felt his heart sink a little. “I know,” he replied, “but I needed you to know why I can’t lose you; why you should take him and run.”

Nella grabbed his hands and removed them from her face. “Then, don’t make me leave you,” she begged, running her thumbs over his knuckles. “Don’t let me go.”

He sighed and sat back down, pulling her into his lap. He knew there was no hope in convincing her to leave, and if he just abandoned her on a planet, she would hunt him down. The only other option he had was to keep both of them close and watch every move they made. It was like she could read his mind as she smiled at him. “You’re stuck with us, _Mando_ ,” she laughed, “And I will make sure you regret ever picking me up on Sorgan.”

Din chuckled. “Yeah? Good,” he replied. “So long as I can make you regret staying.” He lightly squeezed her thigh, before running his hand around her side and ass. Honestly, the selfish man in him was glad she was staying. He didn’t want her to leave; regardless of the amount of danger she was in.

She lurched a little and gazed back down into his helmet. “Careful there,” she whispered, “don’t start something, unless you intend to finish.” 

He stood, scooping her into his arms as he carried her back to his quarters. “I intend to finish this time,” he laughed, gently tossing her onto his bed. 

She bounced a little and giggled, biting her bottom lip. “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer Xi’an instead of me? After all, you _clearly_ have some history,” she gave him a devilish smile.

“Jealous?” He chuckled.

“Of _her_? Not a chance. She’s dead if I ever see that conniving bitch again,” she laughed.

He crawled in after her, closing the door behind her. She reached for her blind fold that was on his shelf and put it on, to which he eagerly put his helmet in the empty spot along with his shirt. He didn’t waste a second as his lips crashed against hers, eager to taste her again. She wrapped her legs around him and ran her fingers through the small curls at the base of his neck. He kissed her jaw and suckled at the sensitive skin at the base of her neck, drawing out a soft sigh. His hands found the hem of her shirt, pulling it up over her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of looking at you,” he smiled.

She blushed and covered her face to hide her wide grin. He leaned down and kissed her collarbone before making his way to her breasts. He massaged one with his hand while he kissed and teased the other, pulling strained pleas from her lips as her hands played with his hair. “Din…” she breathed. 

He switched sides to equally tease the other before leaving a trail of kisses and love bites down her sides and stomach. He hooked his fingers around the belt loops on her pants as he slid them off her, tossing them close to her shirt. His hands explored her body as he kissed and nipped at her thighs. He paused and looked at her, she was breathing rapidly, anticipating his touch going where she needed him most. Din ran his tongue up and down the middle of her, forcing a strained moan to fall from her lips. He hummed against her, driving her mad. She arched her back, grinding her hips against his face. He licked one of his fingers and slowly inserted it into her, massaging her as he moved up her stomach with his kisses. She grabbed his arms with a tight grip as he inserted another and rested his palm against her. Din delicately, passionately kissed her as he continued to massage her. She bit her bottom lip, stifling a whimper, before she uttered another, “Din.”

He curled his fingers and smiled at the sweetest noises he’d ever heard. He leaned down and kissed her again. With each plea, each passionate kiss from her, he was reminded of how he really felt about her. Each movement of his hand brought her closer to the edge; he could feel her quivering. He moved his hand against her to create more friction, and he saw her smile a little as he continued. She let out one final cry, curling her toes against the sheets as she arched her back again, pleasure washing over her. Din slowly pulled his fingers out of her and brought them to his mouth to clean them off, tasting her. Nella’s chest was rising and falling in deep breaths when she pulled him down to her for another kiss. “Promise me something,” he whispered, “if things get too dangerous, you will take the kid and leave.”

She stopped, running her hands down his back. “Why would I do that?”

He shivered and leaned into her more.“Because you know I’ll be too distracted worrying about both of you to get the heat off us.”

She smiled and rested her hands on his face. “What about you?”

He kissed her. “I’ll find you when it’s all over with.”

She knew he was lying, because in his made up scenario, he wouldn’t make it out of there alive. He would sacrifice himself for them. “Din,” she replied, “this isn’t just a one-sided thing. I get to worry about you, too. I get to _want you_ to be safe, too.” 

He softly kissed her again. “I know,” he said, “but you’re the only one I trust with him, and you’d do a better job caring for him than I would. They won’t hunt you; they’d hunt a man in pure beskar.”

Nella felt a few tears form at the rims of her eyes. He was right, but that didn’t mean she wanted to agree with him. She wouldn’t want to do this without him. “Fine,” she added, “if things get worse to where we can’t handle it, I will take the kid.”

“Thank you, cyar'ika.” He leaned his forehead against her.

“But…”

He sighed. “I knew you’d have conditions.”

“I’m serious. We need to determine where I’d run so you can actually find me, because if you think I’m okay with never seeing you again…”

“Of course,” he said, kissing her deeply again. They both knew that if it came down to that situation, they’d never see each other again. She’d disappear, and he’d be dead. 

Nella’s heart raced, and she tried to focus on him right now; the man on top of her worshipping her body. She tugged at his pants, to which he helped her slide off. She reached with her hands to find him ready for her. He inhaled sharply at the feel of her hands around him. She stroked him a few times, feeling him twitch in her hand. She ran her thumb over his tip, before flipping him over on his back. Nella straddled him, rubbing herself against him. He groaned and grabbed her hips, his fingers digging into her. He’d never seen anyone as beautiful as her, and he was determined to keep her on top of him for as long as he could manage. “Nell, I know you aren’t ready to say it, but I really meant what I told you earlier. I’ve known for a while that I felt that way.” Din sat up, realizing he was so far in over his head, but he would gladly drown if that meant he spent his last minutes with her. “I really do love you, cyar'ika.”

“Din…” She replied, wrapping her arms around him. “What if I’m never ready to say it?”

“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere,” he breathed against her lips, “I’ll wait forever.”

He thrust into her. They both moaned in unison. She held onto his shoulders and angled her face to where she imagined his was. “I’m going to enjoy getting used to this, though,” she smiled. Din grinned at her and kissed her softly. She slowly ground her hips down on him, and he let out a deep groan into her neck. She moved against him again, biting her bottom lip to stifle a whimper. He wrapped his arms around her to hold her close as they continued to move together, her fingers digging into his strong shoulders. She threw her head back and breathed a strained cry. Their pants filled the air as her walls massaged him, pulling every ounce of life out of him. “Din,” she whined.

“Yes, Cyar’ika,” he whispered against her neck, trying to hold it together.

“Oh, fuck,” she continued, biting her lip, “you feel…” she moaned, “so good.”

He peppered kisses across her chest and neck as he continued to thrust into her, her body’s reactions causing him to swell with pride. Never before had he been with someone that fit with him so perfectly. His past partners he fucked, but Nella? Nella was different: someone he took his time with, someone he was passionate with, someone he loved. He could feel both of them starting to reach their end the more they moved against each other. Her cries and moans were arousing him even more. It was a beautiful symphony that he wished he could play on repeat forever. Din used their momentum to his advantage to flip them over, driving deeper into her when he did. Her nails scraped down his back as he started to pick up speed. She cried his name with a few profanities several times as he breathed her name mixed with some grunts into her neck. The sound of skin, groans, and labored breathing filled the air. Nella wrapped her legs around him, trying to pull him deeper into her. “More,” she said.

Din moved his hips and snapped back into her. “Right there, Din.” She arched her back, her head crushing the pillow beneath it.

“Fuck,” he growled, moving his hips faster. “So tight, Nell.”

She smiled and bit her lip, letting out a soft, “Mhm.” Her hands found his shoulders as she held him. He was driving her mad, and that’s exactly what he intended. They were both so close to coming, but he didn’t want it to end. He could feel her walls started to clench around him, milking everything he had in him. She moaned his name again, and it was almost enough to send him over.

He grasped blankets in his fists as he let out a low guttural breath that sent chills throughout her body. Finally, she felt a burst of ecstasy wash over her as she coated the length of him inside her. He leaned down and kissed her, his tongue tasting every inch of her mouth, making the height of her orgasm even more euphoric. She moaned into his mouth until he left hers and moved to her neck, leaving a mark on top of the one he’d left the night before. Her hips ground into him, thrust for thrust. Soon, his movements became erratic as he had his release. He let out a raspy plea as he felt her body massage him to the point of madness. She cried out again, as he continued to move until they both had had their fill, coming down from the high of their orgasms.

Din kissed her collarbone, neck, jaw, and then lips as he pulled out of her, both of their muscles twitching from the instant separation. “Nella,” he said, kissing her again.

“Din,” she breathed, running her hands through his hair. “Don’t make me leave you.”

“But…”

“You’ve opened my eyes to a new life I never thought I deserved,” she said, “don’t take that away from me.”

He kissed her again. “Nella, what if I can’t protect you?”

“I could ask you the same thing. I want to be there to protect _you_ ,” she said, forcing him to look at her, “I’m not leaving you alone when I am supposed to have your back.”

He smiled at her. It was easy for him to forget her capability sometimes, especially when he was holding her in such a delicate and intimate moment. Din situated himself next to her, pulling her closer to him. He ran his fingers lightly up and down her side as he sighed. “I won’t make you leave, unless we have no options, cyar’ika.”

She wrapped her leg around him and pulled herself closer as she kissed him again. “We will always have an option, kair’ta.”

Din deepened his embrace. She may not be ready to tell him that she loved him, but he knew. She didn’t need to say anything. He may have given her a life she thought she never deserved, but she’d given him so much more. The longer he thought about it, the deeper his kiss went. There was no way that was sufficient enough to show her how much she meant to him. Well, he could think of one way, but neither of them were ready for that. So, instead he settled for showing her through the only way he knew how. He delicately kissed her forehead before leaning back on the pillows allowing them to catch their breath.

Nella rolled over, reaching across him for her shirt. He smiled as he watched her blindly search for it. Din ran his hands up and down her sides, watching bumps rise on her skin. “Din,” she warned with a smile.

“What?” he grinned even wider, letting his hand run down her back.

“Despite what you think,” she said, straddling him, “we have a child to take care of.”

He pulled her face down to his for a kiss, tasting her again. He couldn’t get enough of her. She smiled against his lips and kissed him, gently holding his head in her hands. Her heart fluttered with each gentle kiss, forever surprised that this hardened bounty hunter was the most gentle and caring human being in the galaxy. She gave him one last soft kiss before sitting up. “Okay,” she sighed, “we need to seriously do our jobs as caretakers.”

Din laughed. “You know, a few months ago, I _never_ would have pictured my life here.”

She found her shirt and pulled it on. “You’re welcome for enriching it.” Din watched her grope around his quarters for her pants until she found them and wiggled them over her hips. Watching her get dressed was almost as sexy as the opposite. “Din,” she said, without turning around, “stop watching me and put your helmet back on. I need to see in order to walk out of here.”

“Then don’t leave,” he smiled, watching her shake her head. He laughed and rolled over to grab his shirt, pulling it on before grabbing his helmet and sliding on his pants. “You’re safe to take off your blindfold,” he said, untying it for her.

She tossed it on his shelf and turned to look at him with a smile before pressing the release for the door and sliding out of the small room. Nella walked to the kid’s bed and noticed he was gone. “Shit,” she mumbled, frantically looking around for the little green womp rat. She turned and saw him curled up on her bed with one of her blankets, his back turned to her. 

Din came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. “He’s still asleep,” he whispered.

She laughed and shrugged him off her. “No, Din. Find us a planet with a market so I can get him some healthy food instead of the junk you have in your cupboards.”

He chuckled and slapped her on the rear before ascending the ladder. She smiled and glared up at him with a shake of her head. Grabbing her blasters from her bag, she sat at the table and started cleaning her weapons. She wasn’t about to leave the kid down here alone. There was way too much he could get into. She gazed at the kid that was now her surrogate child, just like she was to Boba. Thanks to Din, her life had been completely turned upside down in a way she never thought possible. _I never would have pictured my life here, either,_ she thought, reflecting on what Din had said to her only moments before.

> _“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere,” he breathed against her lips, “I’ll wait forever.”_

She felt a tear fall down her face. Nell was an expert at pushing people away before they got too close. In her mind, if she never admitted she loved anyone the universe wouldn’t rip them away. She wouldn’t have to relive the pain of loss and grief, but Din was making it too hard to do that. She wanted to keep him close so she wouldn’t lose him.

> _“You don’t understand,” he firmly added, “I cannot lose you. I lost everything I loved before; I cannot go through that again.”_

But she did understand. She understood completely, and she couldn’t lose him either. She knew the second she saw Fennec Shand take a shot at him that she couldn’t handle another loss like that. He’d managed to find a way past her tough exterior. “Damn Tin Can,” she said under her breath, wiping the tears away.

“Nell,” he said, walking up behind her.

She startled and looked at him. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear him slide down the ladder. Nella looked up at him and nodded. “I’m fine.”

He lightly grabbed her chin. “Then why are your cheeks wet?”

“I’m fine, Din,” she insisted.

He sighed and let go of her. “I just came down here to say we are a few hours away from the nearest market,” he added.

She nodded again. “Okay.”

Din grabbed the chair across from her and leaned forward on his knees, watching her clean her blaster. He could tell something was wrong, but also knew if she wanted to shut him out, she would. Nella glared at him out of the corner of her eye as she tried hard to concentrate on the blaster in front of her. “What?” she asked, stealing a glance at him.

He didn’t say anything, waiting for her to talk. 

“I just got wrapped up in my thoughts,” she added, “I promise I’m fine. If I wasn’t, you should know by now that I’d tell you.”

Din chuckled and nodded. “That you would.” He stood and walked to the ladder again.

“Din?” she softly said. He turned to her. “I’m less than what you deserve, and you’re far better than what I deserve. But thank you for showing me that this galaxy doesn’t have to be lonely.”

He reached for her hand. “You’re more than everything I deserve, but you still picked me. I should be thanking you, cyar’ika.”

He turned and climbed the ladder. She smiled and hugged herself. _Maybe admitting it wouldn’t be so bad,_ she thought. 

***

They landed on Ryloth. Din didn’t pay much attention to the specifics; he just wanted to find a city with a big enough market to make Nella happy so they could get in and get out. He didn’t know where they would go after this, but he didn’t want to be somewhere where they could get easily separated. He docked the Crest and hid the kid in his quarters before locking up the ship. “He should be fine in there, right?” He asked her. 

“He was fine when I put him in there. Did you leave him his metal ball to occupy him?”

He chuckled. “Yes.”

“Then, he will be fine.”

He nodded and started to lead her towards the market when he felt a hand grab his. Her fingers intertwined with his, fitting perfectly together. He closed his hand around hers, and continued walking towards the market. He smiled when he felt her lean against him as they walked. _So this is what it’s like to live a normal life._ He’d seen people in pure bliss walking together down the streets, holding hands and doing domestic things like grocery shopping. He never understood how people could live like that when there was such a dangerous, vengeful galaxy out there that would happily rip them apart. Now, he understood. He’d fight the entire universe to prevent that from happening. This was the greatest feeling in the world. He had a family now, and despite the dangers they faced together, he intended on keeping it that way.

She dragged him over to a booth that had little lunch trays with lids for five credits a piece. She picked up eight of them. “These will be perfect for making some pre-made meals,” she said.

“Ah, yes,” the merchant said, “I can hardly keep these in stock. Parents buy these up right before school starts every year.”

She smiled at him as Din handed him the forty credits. She tossed them in her empty bag she brought and continued browsing the booth. She found small, kid-sized cups; to which Din happily purchased for her. Whatever she wanted, he would purchase. They moved to a fruit and vegetable stand not far from this one where she gathered a variety of food before moving on to meats and spices. “If we run out of credits, do you want me to dip into Enigma’s account?” she asked as she stowed the food in her bag.

He shook his head. “The second you pull credits from there, the Imps will track you.”

“But I have enough credits to help sustain us for a while.”

“Then,” he continued, “consider it our emergency fund.”

She sighed and pulled the strap of her bag to rest on her shoulder. It was starting to get heavy. Din grabbed it from her and slung it over his. “You’re going to carry my bag?” she smiled.

“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?” he asked, generally confused.

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged and situated the bag. “You’re my…well…you know, aren’t I supposed to carry your bags if you need it?”

She laughed, her smile exceeding past her eyes. “So you think you’re my _boyfriend_ now?”

Din stopped and looked directly at her, suddenly worried he crossed some imaginary line. They never really decided on a label or even talked about what they were doing. For all he knew, she was acting. She didn’t care about him, but was using him for convenience purposes. Deep down, he knew that to be false, but his past relationships haunted him in the back of his mind. “Relax,” she said, grabbing his hand, “you know I love flustering you. Besides, you admitted you love me, and we’ve slept together twice now. I think we’ve reached the ‘choosing a label’ stage of our relationship.” 

They walked by an accessories booth. He stopped and looked at the scarves. “In that case, maybe we should upgrade that shitty rag we’ve been using to one of these.”

She gazed at him with a grin and blushed a little, she was almost certain the merchant heard him. “Din, we don’t have the credits for that, since you won’t let me use my Enigma accounts,” she whispered.

He looked down at her, pulling her chin up so he could see her beautiful brown eyes. “Nell, we have plenty of food for us and the kid to last a while. We’ve got some credits left over.”

“And we need to save that for emergencies.”

He leaned in closer and growled a little. “This is an emergency.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. Din turned to the merchant and asked how much. He haggled with him for a few minutes before he was able to get the scarf at a cheaper price before handing it to Nella. “Onderon silk,” he said.

The material felt like butter in her hands as she looked at the beautiful blue fabric. “We can’t afford this.”

“Cyar’ika, let me do this,” he begged.

She smiled at him and folded it to put in her bag on his shoulder. “Thank you.” Nella grabbed his hand and moved forward through the street with him. She thought about how much he said he loved her. She looked up at him as they walked. He cautiously scanned the crowd, looking for potential threats. She grinned. Despite the fact she was one of the most skilled fighters in the Guild, he still was her fierce protector. She sighed and leaned into him; he wrapped his arm around her and held her close as they continued to stroll. Never, in her life, had she felt safe, but this moment changed all of that. Nothing could touch her. She felt protected from everything with just the simple gesture of his arm around her in public. “Din?”

He looked down at her. “Yes?”

She sighed and gazed into his helmet. “I’m sorry I can’t bring myself to say…,” she paused, but he understood, “I just want you to know that I do deeply care about you, more than I have anyone.”

He lovingly squeezed her, and continued forward. She didn’t have to have a response from him. She knew he loved her. They were kindred spirits and understood the other perfectly, which worried her. She was afraid one day he’d wake up and realize he wanted more than someone like her - a cold, blooded killer who doesn’t need protecting. _But that’s what I want,_ she thought, _I want him to protect me._ She spent the majority of her life fending for herself. Having a partner changed everything. He allowed her the freedom to relax more and learn to rely on others. She was terrified to tell him all of this, though. If she put it out there, that was just another thing her grim life would violently rip away from her and end before its time.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Din was still vigilantly scanning the area when she felt him suddenly stop. “Imps,” he mumbled.

Her head snapped up and she looked in the direction he was staring. There were two troopers standing outside a rundown building, armed. “We need to get out of here,” she said.

Din started to turn around, when Nella froze. _It can’t be._ She watched a man dressed in an Imperial uniform approach the door and gaze around for people that could be watching him; that’s when their eyes met. She’d seen those deep, green eyes before, and those eyes recognized her. He stared at her for a second longer before disappearing into a building, followed by a few questionable characters. She never thought she’d see him again, but here she was. Fate had brought them together again, except this time on opposing sides. 

“What is it?” Din asked, grabbing her hand. He saw the two officers walk into the building. “Shit. What are they doing out here?”

She couldn’t answer him as she tried to absorb the initial shock. She needed to find a way to get into that building, _without_ Din. If she even so much as breathed a word of who she saw or what she wanted to do, he’d either stop her or insist on accompanying her. “Nella,” he said, forcing her to look at him, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Finon,” she whispered to herself, still in disbelief, “Finon Vane.” Her gaze instantly flashed to him. “We need to get back to the ship.”

Nella spun on her heel, pulling Din behind her as they all but ran back to the Crest. As soon as the ship was in sight, he started unlocking it so they could board immediately. Din climbed the ladder and Nella suited up. She slid into her body suit with ease. This was second nature to her as she dropped her Nellanna Jissard life and picked Enigma back up. He stopped at the top when he realized she wasn’t behind him with the kid. He loaded the security camera for the below deck and saw her strapping weapons on. “What are you doing?” he said through the ship’s comms.

“I’m going after them,” she said, strapping her knives back into her suit, followed by her blasters..

She heard him descend back down the ladder. “You’re doing _what_?”

“Din, you can’t stop me. Leave me here if you have to, but I _need_ to get into that building.” Nella grabbed the rest of her weapons and made sure they were secured in their holsters before she pushed the button to release her speeder bike.

He shook his head and grabbed her rifle out of the weapons storage so she couldn’t take it. “What’s in that building, Nell? Who or What did you see?”

She gazed at him, tears in her eyes with her helmet under her arm. “You asked me not that long ago if I trusted you,” she reminded him, “now I’m asking you to trust me.”

He stepped closer. “I do,” he replied, “Just tell me what you saw. I’ll go with you.”

Nella took a deep breath and vehemently shook her head. “I need to go alone, Din. Please trust me.”

He did not like this plan. She was hiding something from him, and he could tell her reasoning was no longer being governed by her logical, sensible side. There was someone in that group of Imps she knew, someone from her past. She was going in there, controlled by her emotions; which meant she would inevitably make a mistake, thus putting her into harm’s way. He also knew the second he ascended the ladder to the cockpit, she’d be gone. He walked to the weapons storage and grabbed a comm link. “I want you checking in every half-hour. No. Every ten minutes. The second you miss a check-in, I am coming for you. Imps be damned. Is that understood, E?”

She felt a chill wash over her when addressed her as her alias. “No,” she coldly replied, “this is when I get to convince you to take the kid and run.”

His eyes grew wide. She wasn’t planning on returning from this. “Nella,” he warned.

“I’m serious. This is some unfinished business I have. If they get the hands on the kid, what will this all be for. If I miss a check-in, do not come looking for me. If you love me, you will listen to me.”

He shook his head. “Do not use that against me, because I’m not going to listen to you.”

She frowned and glared at him. “Dammit, Din!” She roared, “Just once in your stubborn existence, will you do as I ask? I’m doing this to protect both of you!”

He stepped forward. He tried to remain calm, but failed miserably. “ _My_ stubborn existence. You’re the one who is ignoring logic. Whatever you saw has you so wrapped up in yourself that you’re refusing to listen to reason.”

“Give me my rifle,” she ordered.

“No.” His grip on it tightened, as he fully expected her to try and rip it from his grasp.

She frowned and put her helmet on. “Fine. If that’s how you want this to end.”

She turned to walk off the ship, and panic washed over him as he watched. “Nell, stop!”

Nella mounted her speeder bike she’d unloaded. Without turning to look at him, she dropped the comm link he gave her in front of the ship and sped away. He punched the side of his ship. “Fuck!” he shouted. They were happy, in paradise earlier; the second the Imps showed up, she’d changed into a different person. Whatever it was that she was hiding from him was something she had never truly dealt with, it twisted and made her walls even stronger.

***

She parked her bike behind a rundown building and stored the keys in her suit. She felt guilty about the way she left things with Din, but she couldn’t have him there to distract her. She was going to kill Finon if it was the last thing she ever did. This motherfucker was the epitome of fucked up in her book. She might have hidden her identity from him, but he lied to her about everything. And, the worst part of it all, she was pretty sure she was still in love with him. Din would just get in the way if he was there. 

Nella disappeared into the shadows as she moved closer to the building he had entered. She recognized it. This was where Shan saved her when she found out everything about Finon. She’d managed to damage their outpost heavily, and while wounded she ran to find cover in the most crowded place she could find. That’s when she ran into Shan at a cantina. He told her that he was initially going to try to pick her up, until she saw how badly she was bleeding. 

She pressed herself against the rear exit of the building and ran a scan on the security. It was basic, obviously leftover materials they found on surrounding establishments. It was an easy break. The door silently slid open as she continued her partnership with the darkness. She moved against the wall and hid behind some crates when she saw a few troopers enter to inspect the breach in security. She drew her knives, ready to slice open their throats the second they passed her. Which she did with ease. No noise escaped this room or signaled any other guards to enter. She moved into the hallway, blaster drawn as she made her way to his office. She was gazing around a corner when she felt the tip of a blaster at the base of her skull under her helmet. “So nice to see you, Anadme,” she heard the smooth, cool voice say behind her.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll drop your weapon,” she sneered, her helmet making her sound more threatening.

He chuckled. “I don’t think so.” Six troopers stepped out of the room to her right, blasters pointed at her. “Drop your weapons.” She slowly bent down and placed her blaster on the ground. “Cuff her,” he ordered. 

A trooper stepped forward and placed cuffs on her. Suddenly, she felt a painful charge of electricity pulse through her body from where the blaster barrel was positioned under her helmet. ****Her last thought was Din holding her as they walked through the market before everything went dark and her limp body fell to the floor.

**Translations**

  * _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum. - I love you.  
_
  * _kair’ta - My (desperate) heart_




	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nella has been missing for a long time, and Din can’t handle it anymore. He swallows his pride to call for back up and to see what he will be walking into with the Imps on Ryloth. Din learns a little more than he was expecting about Nella, some of which has him reconsidering their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Violence, Death

The kid sat in Nella’s bed and watched Din pace back and forth, occasionally stopping in front of the ramp when he’d hear a noise outside. It’d been hours since she’d left, and it was driving him insane. He trusted Nella and knew her skills were better than the rest, but her judgement was clouded. She wasn’t thinking straight. He tried to remember the faces of the officers, but he couldn’t. He continued to rack his brain trying to think of any hints or clues, and the only thing that was coming up was she had a job go bad on Ryloth while she was with… _Shan_.

He growled and grabbed the kid as he climbed the ladder. _This asshole is going to be so thrilled I stole his comm number._ He entered the information and sent a message to Shan. “This is Razor Crest,” he paused. At this point, Din was desperate. He needed to find her, and whatever beef he had with Shan needed to be put aside. If he was going to bring her back, he needed to know what he was about to walk into. “Shan, this is Mando. I need your help. Something’s wrong with Nell. Please.”

He waited impatiently with the kid in his lap, watching him try to play with some of the controls; only to be stopped by Din. Several minutes later, his comm buzzed. “I told you, Mando, I don’t want to be involved.”

“Shan, you don’t understand. She’s in danger, and you’re the only one who knows her,” Din pleaded.

Shan sighed. “Where are you?”

“Ryloth.”

“Yeah? So, what’s wrong with Ryloth?” he shrugged.

“You tell me. One minute, everything was fine, and the second we saw some Imps, she suited up and left without a trace. She’s been gone for a couple of hours now,” Din replied.

He saw Shan’s eyes grow wide and he looked down. “Oh, shit,” he mumbled, “I thought they were all dead. She saw them die.”

“Who?” Din growled. “Who, Shan?”

“Where are you on Ryloth?”

“Tann Province. Why?”

He glanced back up at Din and thought long and hard about how to proceed. “Are we on a secure channel?”

“Yes.”

Shan sighed. “About three years ago, Nella had a run in with these Imps. I found her bleeding to death in a cantina. You know that scar on her ribcage?” Din nodded. “That’s how she got it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, I don’t know how much she’s told you about her past. Hell, I don’t hardly know it, but this, I know every detail,” Shan added, “and she will kill me for telling you.” Din sat stoically, knowing his threat could go unsaid. So he waited for the asshole on the other end to continue. “Has she told you who Finon Vane is?”

“She mentioned him. He’s her former fiancé that she found out used to work for the Empire,” he replied as an uneasy feeling washed over him.

Shan huffed. “Used to? He’d been lying to her for two years about how he was still working for them after the Battle of Endor. He was part of a secret regime and research program. Stop me when any of this sounds familiar.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “Nella was still new to the Guild when she took a job to seek out Imperial officers. She, along with a few others new to the Guild, worked together to bring them down. They were struggling to find many of them, so they tasked her with an impossible mission. Finon Vane.”

Some of Nella’s behavior started to make sense. She’d fallen for one of her bounties before, and it hadn’t ended well. “She said he lied to her about working for the Empire,” Din added, cautiously.

Shan nodded. “Yes and No. She was young and naive, so when she found him, he convinced her he was a changed man and was on the run from the Empire. The only reason he joined them in the first place was to save his family that they held hostage; but after the Battle of Endor, Empire officers began ‘liquidating’ their prison camps and some of their higher-ups. She honestly believed he was in hiding from _them_. They bounced from planet to planet, she lived under her alias Anadme Corrend, and she helped him doctor fake papers to show he died on Tatooine, where she found him. Enigma was able to collect on the bounty and they were able to live a ‘peaceful’ life for two almost three years.” 

The kid looked up at Din and cooed. Din closed his eyes. Vane had to be who she saw in town earlier, and that’s who she went after.

“She would take jobs to help support them while he worked for a trader. They made decent money,” Shan laughed and shook his head, “hell, he even proposed to her, as far as I know. Finally, Greef gave her another Imp job. They heard there was an Imperial cell on Ryloth, who were evading New Republic Officials. So, she took the job. It was the chance of a lifetime and it would pay a hell of a lot of money. She wanted to take it before some _Mandalorian_ in the Guild grabbed it for himself.”

Din chuckled a little. He remembered that job and was so annoyed that Enigma had beaten him to it. He always wondered how many times their paths actually crossed before they found each other.

“You see,” Shan looked right at him, “Enigma was still making a name for herself. So she went to Ryloth to grab the officer. According to her source, they were housed in a seemingly abandoned building just outside the market. So, she staked it out for two days, learning the shift changes, their routines, and where the officers met. There was just one small detail she missed.” He saw Shan’s expression change, darken as he remembered how they met. “She snuck in completely undetected, planting charges all over the building. The operation was going smooth, until she made it to their main office. There was only one officer in the room.”

“Vane,” Din said.

Shan nodded. “Vane. He was waiting for her. I don’t know what happened between them, but I know he stabbed her with a laced blade, which led to that scar. She managed to escape, but barely. Once she was clear of the building, she detonated the charges and made her way to the cantina where I found her. Luckily I had medical supplies on the ship that I had to deliver. So, I patched her up. She slept in her room for three days before I saw her again, and that’s when she emerged the hardened Enigma we both know.”

“So, if Vane is here…”

“You need to get her out of there,” Shan said, “he will kill her.”

Din felt his chest tighten. “How long until you can get here?”

“What!” Shan exclaimed with a half laugh. 

“Shan,” Din barked.

“I don’t know, and hour maybe?”

“Get here. I’ll meet you at the market plaza.” He saw Shan hesitate. “Do it for her, please.”

***

Her head felt like it weighed a ton as she tried to lift it and look around the room. She was strapped to a chair in the middle of a cold room, her helmet on a table on the opposite side. Her vision was still a little blurry, but she saw someone in a grey suit leaning against the wall watching her. Her head lulled forward again and her eyes drooped. “Ah ah,” the man across the room said, “it’s time to wake up, Ana.”

It was Finon. She let a tear slide down her cheek. He walked over and picked her head up, lightly slapping her face to wake her up more. She blinked a few times and her vision started to clear. He looked the same as he did three years ago. Slick, dark hair with his green eyes and a smile that could hypnotize her to do anything. The only difference in him was the look of disdain on his face as he gazed at her and a few new scars. “Why did you come back?” he spat.

She glared at him, trying hard to burn a hole through his head. “I thought you were dead, Finon,” she answered.

He laughed. “Well, clearly you failed at that part of your job. The great Enigma fails again. No wonder the Guild has a bounty on your head.”

She tried to remain calm. If he knew about her bounty, he’d know about Din and the kid. She didn’t want to give anything away. 

“Who was that you were traveling with?” he grinned. “Is that the Mandalorian that stole the child?” Her eyes grew wide. He _did_ know. “That’s right, Ana. I know all about the kid. We all do. He’s part of my project on Nevarro, and I need him back. What are you doing traveling with them?” His smile widened. “Oh, don’t tell me; you did it again, didn’t you?” He laughed and squeezed her cheeks with one hand. 

She jerked her head away from him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I guess you have a type,” he continued laughing, “How long did you wait before hopping into his bed? I mean it’s been almost three years. I’ve been dead for a while.” She glared at him. “I didn’t wait at all. I found a nice Twi’lek woman to curb that appetite; since I was dining on subpar entreés for two years.”

“Why, Finon? Why did you do this? We had a good life together!” She exclaimed.

“A _good_ life? Ana, we live in a galaxy left in shambles. There’s no order. We lived in the middle of nowhere and had to work to the bone just to live there!”

“We lived like normal people. What is so wrong with that? We survived!” She was using all of her will power to hold in all the tears.

“Well, that wasn’t good enough for me. _You_ weren’t good enough for me.” She stared at him with wide eyes, his comment cutting her deeper than she expected. “What I did for the Empire was important. You think I really wanted to be married to a bounty hunter and work in trade for the rest of my life?”

“Finon…” her heart broke, “I loved you! I spent two and a half years dedicated to loving you!” She never felt good enough for him, or anyone really. She was damaged goods. Who would want someone with her baggage? But hearing the words come from someone she’d dedicated years of her life to cut a wound deeper than any she’d ever received. “You’re saying those years were a waste? That you didn’t love me back?”

“I was using you, Enigma! How could you miss that? With you chasing everyone else in the galaxy, I knew you’d stay off my back. You were never supposed to take that job,” he laughed, “our partnership was supposed to last until the Empire rose again. To which you would have been greatly compensated for it.”

“I would never work for the Empire,” she growled, “if you knew what those motherfuckers did to me, you’d understand.”

He laughed. “You and millions of others.” Finon walked across the room and pulled a chair up in front of her. “So,” he continued, “why _did_ you come here? You knew you were going to get caught again.”

She glared at him again. 

“We both know it wasn’t to kill me.”

“If you don’t release me, I won’t have to kill you,” she gave him a menacing grin.

Finon laughed. “Oh, you think that Mando you’re traveling with will save you? From what I hear, he’s sort of a loner. He’s probably already moved on to the next station.” He looked at her in her weak, vulnerable state. “He’s not coming for you, and you won’t kill me. I can see it all over your face that you’re still in love with whatever fantasy I had you believing.”

“I gave you _two and a half years_ of my life, and you took advantage of me. I’m not still in love with you, Finon; my heart is broken. You lied to me, _stole_ from me. You stole valuable years from my life. How much of my money went to your fucking projects?” she roared.

He grinned at her. “Our money, dear,” he said, “we’re still married. So, as far as _anyone_ is concerned, Anadme Vane is an Empire sympathizer.”

She stared at him in awe. “No…you were dead. I signed those documents.”

“I’m clearly still alive,” he said, holding his hands out with a laugh.

She shook her head. “We aren’t married, Finon.”

He leaned forward and squeezed her cheeks again. “Oh, my sweet,” he said, giving her a rough kiss, “we are. So, tell your Mandalorian to leave his grimy hands off my wife.”

There was an explosion from down the hall that shook the building. Finon spun and looked at the door. “What the fu-” Another explosion at the opposite end of the building went off. Soon, the alarms were sounding and the red, emergency lights came on. He spun and looked at her, who was grinning. “You’re leaving here with me,” he growled, grabbing her throat, “and if you don’t, _he_ will pay the price.”

Nella frowned at him, her eyes burning with rage. “Let me out of here so we can finish that fight,” she sneered, “or are you afraid I’ll actually kick your ass this time?”

He laughed. “Not a chance.”

***

“If you leave _before_ we all make it back to the Razor Crest…” Din warned.

Shan sighed and rolled his eyes. “I know. I know. You’ll hunt me down and make my guts accessories.”

He chuckled. “Happy to hear my intentions are clear.”

Shan looked over at him and smiled. “You really care about her, don’t you?”

Din turned his head to glance at him. “She’s been an asset to have onboard.”

Glaring at him, Shan stared back harder, trying to see through him and failing. “You know, when she was leaving you on Tatooine, I could tell it was killing her. She cares about you, Mando.”

Din nodded at him before motioning him forward as part of their plan. He did _not_ want to have this conversation with him. Shan shook his head and moved around the back, while Din waited just outside the front door. He set charges on either side and waited exactly thirty seconds for Shan to get to his position and plant his. He took cover in an alcove by another building as he detonated the charges. Before the smoke cleared, he walked in, guns blazing. Troopers appeared from everywhere as he took out his targets one-by-one. He tossed a handful of small grenades down the hallway and took cover as they exploded, killing the reinforcements that arrived. He would check every room in this miserable place until he found her.

A trooper stepped out from the smoke and sent a hail of shots his way. They bounced off his beskar, the impact stinging with each strike. He dodge several as he zig-zagged closer to them. He grabbed the trooper’s arm and bent it behind him with a snap. The trooper screamed as Din wrapped his arms around his neck, twisting just right to break it in one swift movement. He ducked and slid on his knees, taking out two more stormtroopers. He quickly turned and shot them in the chest. “Requesting backup,” one called into his comms.

“We’re surrounded. We have another at the south end. Request denied.”

Din grinned and moved until he could find the main control room. He quickly stepped and dodged many of the shots, and those he didn’t, continued to bounce off his armor. The impact hurt like a bitch, but he’d take a thousand more shots if that meant getting her out of here alive. He used his rifle as a staff on one trooper, strangling him from behind before spinning around to disintegrate another. Their screams filled the hallways as the emergency lights blinked. He walked into what he hoped were the main controls. The officers held their hands up, but Din released his whistling birds. He was seeing red and couldn’t hear their cries. He stepped over their bodies as he walked over to the security cameras. Shan was fighting his way through a group of five troopers. Din was slightly impressed at the smuggler’s skills. _Nella must have taught him a trick or two,_ he grinned at the thought. He glanced from screen to screen until he found a heavily guarded room on the second floor. Din’s heart stopped. He’d found her. 

Slowly, he stood up straight and grabbed his rifle, ready to spill Finon Vane’s blood all over the compound.

***

They could hear blasters in the hallway and the troopers calling for backup. She struggled against the restraints while he was distracted to no avail. “Finon,” she pleaded, “Please, don’t do this. Somewhere deep down, I know you loved me. If you come back with me, I can make sure nothing happens to you. You just have to let me go. I’m the _only one_ who can save you right now.”

He turned back to her with an evil grin. “You brought him right to my door,” he replied. They could hear the fighting just outside the door. “I couldn’t have done this without you, Ana,” he added, “I honestly thought we were going to have to send the entire galaxy after him to get our asset back, but you’ve brought him right to my door.”

They could hear someone running a scan on the door. “It’s a trap!” she exclaimed, praying he could hear her. “Don’t come in, Mando!”

They heard yelling outside the door and then a few more blaster shots before the door slid open. The doorway was empty. Her heart raced as she waited for her man in beskar to barge in, in his usual rampaging fashion. Finon moved behind her, holding the blaster at the back of her head. He wasn’t finished with her, but he’d end her life if the Mandalorian didn’t do exactly as he asked. “Finon, please,” she quietly begged.

“Shh!” he hissed at her. 

Slowly, in the blinking emergency lights, Din walked into the doorway with his blaster drawn. “I thought I told you to check in,” he growled at her.

“I’ve been a little busy,” she glared. He was obviously still upset with her, _especially_ since his worst case scenario was unfolding in front of him.

Din, despite his frustration with her, was doing his best to hold it together while this Imperial Officer aimed a gun at her. He raised his sights to Finon’s forehead as a warning. “Your entire compound is gone,” he dryly added, “drop your weapon.”

“You think I give a shit about those troopers?” Finon chuckled. “Anadme comes with me or you give me the kid.”

Din’s grip tightened on his blaster. “I’m giving you an option to spare your life, which is a helluva lot more than you deserve for what you did to her,” he growled.

Finon wrapped his arm around her, pressing the barrel to his temple. “Let go of me, Finon,” she snapped, trying to pull from his grip. 

“Tell me, _Mandalorian_ , what is her life worth to you?” His hand moved to her throat.

Shan appeared behind Din with his blaster drawn. “You’re outnumbered, asshole,” he asserted.

He tsked in her ear. “You _have_ been busy in my absence, Ana. I will give you that,” he said.

Shan laughed at him. “I’m not crazy enough to put my hands on Mando’s girl.”

Finon glared at Din, looking him up and down. “ _Your_ girl?” Din didn’t move. “Does he know? Have you told him the truth, Anadme Vane?”

Din stepped forward. “What’s he talking about?” he asked, kicking himself for the little outburst. He didn’t want to play Finon’s game or give him any hint that he was getting to him.

“Oh, we’re still happily married,” Finon laughed. “My _wife_ is coming with me back to our base, unless of course you want to trade her for the kid.” She struggled against his grip again, causing him to hold her tighter. “She’s not worth much to _me_ , but she’s worth enough to the two of you that I can make a clean escape with her as my shield.”

Din felt the air escape his lungs as he lowered his blaster. Nella looked at him with tears in her eyes, apologizing for ever putting him in this situation. He tried to calm his racing heart as he watched her make peace with her fate: Finon was going to kill her, regardless if Din traded the kid for her or not. “Don’t,” she mouthed to him, hoping he understood what she meant.

Finon looked between the two of them and chuckled. He released his grip on her, keeping the barrel on her temple. Din tensed as he watched him grab something from his belt and slide it to him on the floor. “Cuff her,” he ordered, “and if I suspect anything, I _will_ pull this trigger.”

Slowly, Din bent down and picked up the cuffs and made his way to Nella. She watched him with careful eyes, noticing every movement he made was precise and planned. She knew his eyes never left Finon as he approached them. He knelt in front of her, between her legs and looked up at her. “You’ll be alright, cyar’ika. He’s not going to leave here with you,” he soothed.

They both sat there gazing at each other while they waited for Finon to hit the release on her restraints so Din could place the cuffs on her. She took in several deep breaths to remain calm. She had a plan, but didn’t want to give any of it away. The second she had an opening, Finon was going to regret his decision to wake up this morning. Din squeezed her knee and slowly stood, backing away from her. Finon grabbed her hair and forced her to stand. Din clenched his fists, trying to control his emotions, and failing miserably as her sharp cry pierced through his helmet.

She felt the gun move to between her shoulder blades. She smiled, and Din saw the wheels turning in her mind. He returned her smile, thanking his helmet for hiding it. She spun, placing her cuffed hands on either side of his arm. As she brought them down on his elbow, he fired a shot, aiming for Din. Finon fell forward against the chair. Nella turned again, pulling him forward more, over the chair and onto the floor. She kicked him in the face, causing him to scream in pain as he dropped his blaster. She quickly picked it up and aimed it at his head. Finon wiped the blood off his mouth and smiled at her. “Oh, are you going to shoot me?” he asked.

She grimaced and tightened her grip on the blaster.

“You’re not as strong as you think, my love,” he laughed, spitting some blood near her foot. “If you weren’t still in love with me, you would have shot me by now.”

She set the sights between his eyes. “Toss the Mandalorian the keys to my cuffs,” she growled, “Now!”

Finon slowly reached for the keys and slid them to Din. “You don’t have it in you,” he sneered.

“Shut up,” she spat, “I’ve waited three years for this.”

“Then pull the trigger already.” He grinned up at her, watching her fight with herself to kill an unarmed man. “‘Till death do us part, dear.”

“You’re married to a ghost, Finon, and that ghost will die with you. Anadme Corrend does not exist.”

Din stepped forward. “He doesn’t deserve to know, Enigma,” he cautioned.

She ignored him. “We are _not_ married. If my family knew I was married to an Imperial asshole, they’d turn over in their graves. Especially after they gave their lives to bring the Empire down.”

Finon laughed. “ _Your_ parents were Rebels?”

“Val and Omara Jissard,” she seethed, puffing her chest out, “And I’m so thankful I decided to not tie the Jissard name to the likes of you.”

His eyes grew wide as he put it together. “You’re Nellanna Jissard? I was fucking Rebel scum this entire time.”

Din moved again, but Shan stopped him. “She needs to do this.”

Finon started to laugh as he slowly moved to stand, and much to Din’s surprise Nella let him. “You know, I knew your parents _really well_. Fuck,” he breathed, “I should have known. I mean you look just like your sister, Kiara. I should have seen it.”

Nella felt her arms grow weak as her stomach started to turn. She did not like where this was going. “What do you mean, Finon?”

“She’s the reason your family’s dead,” he sighed, “it’s a shame that I had to cut ties with her. You know, comparatively speaking, she was _way better_ in bed.”

Tears blurred her vision, and Din could see her weakening. “No,” she whispered.

“Oh, certainly. Those mercs were hand picked by myself and your sister. We hired a bounty hunter to go in and do the job. The mercs were for _him_ ,” he indicated Din, “you know, to tie up loose ends. When they arrived, they saw he hadn’t done the job and decided to skip to step two of their plan.”

“No!” She screamed. “You son of a bitch!”

Finon laughed. “It’s funny how fate works.”

Din pulled away from Shan, moving to stand behind Nella to offer his support. Rage flowed through his veins as he stared at this man. Nella was more angry with herself than anything for being with the man who ordered the hit on her family. _How could I have been so blind?_

She was brought out of her trance when Finon laughed at her again. “I can just see the pain all over your face,” he grinned.

“Why?” she cried. “Why did you send the hit?”

He huffed. “Kiara said they were getting close to obtaining the Death Star plans. We couldn’t let that happen. Besides, I loved watching Rebels suffer; watching their hope disappear.”

“My sister was so young! You killed a _child_!”

He shrugged. “I’d do it again too.” Nells shot him in his thigh and he fell back to the ground. “Fuck!”

Din grinned as he watched Finon squirm on the floor in pain. “How did you get the information out of Kiara?” she growled, stepping forward.

Finon was grabbing his leg. “She walked right in and offered it to us, you bitch! Don’t worry, I paid her _really well_.”

Nella shot him in the leg again, this time just below his knee. “Liar!”

He screamed. “Shit, Nella,” Shan mumbled. Din turned and glared at him, effectively shutting him up. 

“They’re coming for you,” he spat through the pain, “They’re coming for all of you. You, the kid, your Mando. They’re going to get the asset back and the two of you will die.” He laughed. “I hope they kill him in front of you first. I hope they rip his helmet-”

The shot reverberated off the wall as his body remained motionless on the floor; the blaster hole burning through his forehead. Nella was talking quick, deep breaths in an effort to calm herself, but she felt the emotions boiling at the top, ready to spill over. Din must have sensed it, as he stepped forward and caught her in his arms as she collapsed, removing the cuffs. She sobbed into her hands as he held her close, wishing more than anything that they were on his ship. Shan stood, watching them helplessly. He wanted nothing more than to leave, but he didn’t want Din to run after him and follow through on his threat from earlier. However, he was happy for Nella. She’d finally gotten closure for something that had haunted her for years. “Take me home,” he heard her mumble to the Mandalorian.

“Home, cyar’ika?” he asked.

“Please,” she cried, “take me back to the Crest.”

He picked her up in his arms and held her close. Shan grabbed her helmet off the table and followed them. “Her bike is parked out back,” he said, “I’ll meet you back at the ship.”

Din nodded. He walked through the hallway, over the fallen troopers as the emergency lights continued to blink. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, pulling her closer to him. She was silently crying now, though the tears were endless. “Din?” she softly said.

“Yeah?” he replied, watching each step, trying to carefully make his way to her speeder bike.

She sniffed and gazed up at him. “I’m sorry,” she muttered, “I should have listened.”

“Yeah,” he coldly added, “you should have.”

She felt her lips quiver, praying he hadn’t changed his mind about her. Finon made it very clear she was worthless to him.

> _“Well, that wasn’t good enough for me. You weren’t good enough for me.” She stared at him with wide eyes, his comment cutting her deeper than she expected. “What I did for the Empire was important. You think I really wanted to be married to a bounty hunter and work in trade for the rest of my life?”_

She wasn’t good enough for someone she believed she’d spend the rest of her life with, why would she be for Din? Why would he want someone who couldn’t love him back? “Maybe, when we get back, I leave with Shan,” she sighed.

He froze and looked down at her. “What? Why?” This was honestly coming out of nowhere and couldn’t understand how or why she came to that conclusion. Din set her on the speeder, waiting for her to answer. 

She wiped a few tears away, avoiding his gaze. “I lied to you again,” she mumbled, “I didn’t tell you the whole truth about Finon.”

He shook his head and knelt down in front of her. “Nell…”

“I can’t give you what you want, either.”

Din frowned and rested his hand on her knee, shaking his head again. “I told you…”

“I know,” she snapped, gazing at him, “but you can’t be happy with that. I’m not enough!”

He cocked his head to the side. The confident, powerful woman he knew had shattered before him. Whatever Finon said to her struck a chord in her and broke her. “What did he say to you before I got there?” He rested his hand on her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. 

She looked at him with wet eyes that were glossed over with more tears waiting to roll. “He told me I wasn’t good enough. The life we built together wasn’t good enough,” she swallowed the lump in her throat, “and I’m afraid if someone I openly loved wasn’t happy…”

He rested his helmet on her forehead. “Nell, he was trying to break you. He’s gone now, and I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere. We’re going back home where you’re going to shower and then relax. You and the kid will hang out in the hold while I find another star system for us to hide in. Once I do, I’m going to grab that Onderon Silk and show you that you _are_ good enough. And, if it takes more than once to show you, then I guess I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”

She smiled at him and made room for him to climb on behind her. This time, he sat close, pulling her against him and resting his hand on her lower abdomen. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, relishing in his touch and leaning against him. “Cyar’ika,” he murmured in his gravelly voice, “we need to go back before Shan leaves.”

Nella chuckled. “He’s got to be miserable right now.”

***

Shan was leaned against his ship when they arrived. His arms were crossed and Nella’s helmet was at his feet. He kicked off the side and stood up, walking over to them. Nella hopped off and hugged him tight, kissing his cheek. “Thank you,” she said, “you saved me from him, _again_.”

Shan laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “I didn’t do much,” he replied, “it was all your Mandalorian.”

She turned and looked at him. He was keeping his distance to let them have this moment together. “You still came,” she added, turning back to him.

“Of course I did, E. You’re my only friend.”

She smiled. “It’s fitting you were here to see it end.”

He nodded. “I knew about the Jissards,” he admitted, “hell, everyone did. Had I known all those years ago that was your family…”

She choked back tears. “They can finally rest in peace.”

Shan sighed and looked at Din behind her. “Hey, Mando,” he called, “there better not be a next time.”

“You know better than most, she does what she wants,” Din replied.

Nella looked between the two of them, surprised. “I would be offended,” she laughed, “but I can’t believe the two of you are getting along.”

“Don’t get used to it, cyar’ika,” Din added, resting on one foot appearing more relaxed.

“We did this for you,” Shan admitted, “once I leave, we go back to hating each other. That was the deal.”

She smiled. “I’ll see you around.”

“Bye, Nella.” He moved to board his ship and then turned back to Din. “Take care of her,” he said, “she deserves that much.”

Din approached her from behind and wrapped his arm around her waist. He gave Shan a nod and waved as he disappeared into the hold. Nella placed her hands around him and sighed as they watched Shan launch. She thought of the first time they met with fondness. Despite the massive heartbreak, it introduced her to her best friend in the galaxy. She let her head rest against him. “Do you think he was telling the truth about Kiara?” she mumbled.

“No,” he added, “he knew you well enough to get under your skin.”

She looked up at him again. “He didn’t know I was a Jissard until tonight. How did he know my sister so intimately?”

“Why would your sister betray her entire family?”

Nella shrugged. “I left there with more questions than answers,” she muttered, “but at least that fucker is dead.”

He held her side tighter. “Go ahead and head on back to the ship. I’ll put the speeder away.”

Din turned to leave her when he felt her hand grab his. He spun back around and saw her with more tears in her eyes as she gazed at him. She had a small smile playing on her lips. “Thank you,” she said, “for coming for me.”

He smiled and titled his head while he looked at her. He didn’t know what to say except a typical “you’re welcome.” _Of course I’d come for you_ , he thought. He settled for squeezing her hand back before running off to load the speeder. 

Nella boarded the ship and opened Din’s quarters to find the kid anxiously waiting for them to return. He whined at the sight of her and held his arms up for her to hold him. He wrapped what he could around her neck for a hug; almost like he’d sensed something had gone terribly wrong. She smiled at him as she walked over to the table and set him down in the chair. Nella immediately started sorting through her purchases, making premade snacks to put in the ship’s chiller. The kid reached for a piece of fruit on the table, but was unable to grab it. Suddenly, the fruit moved into his hand and he laughed. Nella grinned again. “We’re going to learn some manners,” she said, “but I’ll let that slide for now.”

He cooed and smirked at her with fruit juices dripping down his chin. She heard the hydraulics of the ship’s hold close as Din boarded. He walked up behind her and grabbed a piece of cheese off the table. He lifted his helmet enough to eat the piece and then rested his hand on her back. She ignored him as she continued packing some food into the tins they bought. “Put these in the chiller,” she ordered, handing him the finished ones. She picked up the leftovers and followed him to store in the drawers. “Just set them on top.”

Din chuckled. “Did you get us anything to eat?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course I did, and it’s _all_ healthy.” He groaned which caused her to laugh. “As long as I am living on this ship, we are eating right. You and I have to take care of ourselves for _him_ ,” she added, motioning to the kid who was suckling on the fruit still. “No more bachelor lifestyle.”

He let out a contented sigh as he wrapped his arms around her, giving her rump a soft squeeze. “Where’s the scarf?”

She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was giving her a devilish smile under his helmet. “Wipe that grin off your face, Din,” she replied, trying to hide her own smirk, “the kid is still awake and very hungry. Set the course for another system for us while I take care of our ward.”

He let his arms drop. “I still intend on following through on my promise,” he said in a low raspy voice, “You are good enough, cyar’ika.”

She pulled his helmet down to her and kissed the side of it, before turning her attention back to the kid. He smiled, loving this little family she’d created for them. He climbed the ladder to the cockpit and input the exact coordinates he’d picked out when they landed here. They weren’t going to hide in this system, but they could stop and regroup there. It’d been long enough that they could go back for a few days and rest. He moved through his pre-flight check with ease before lifting off the ground. He could hear her and the kid talking up a storm while she fed him. “Good job!” she exclaimed, no doubt watching him use his special powers - or what she called The Force. Din’s grin widened. It had been so long since he’d smiled this much, and he was afraid of what would happen if things went back to the way they were.

The ship left Ryloth’s atmosphere and prepared to jump to hyperspace. With the coordinates set and the ship on autopilot, he went back downstairs to check on Nella and the kid. He slid down the ladder, and when he saw them, his heart almost burst. Nella was curled up on her bed, with the kid cuddled against her. They were both passed out, and the sight was so serene that Din didn’t want to disturb them. He grabbed the blanket off his bed and gently laid it on them. She moved a little, absentmindedly pulling the covers up around her and the kid as they fell into a deeper sleep. Din lifted his helmet and kissed the side of her head as he smoothed her hair. Damn Vane for making her feel less. She was perfect. She was enough.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din takes Nella and the kid back to a place they all love in order to regroup and gather reinforcements to take out the Imps that are after them. Nella decides that she and Din need to have a serious conversation about their relationship before they move forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Very Mild Violence, Smut (and lots of it), Fluff and Feelings

She woke up and noticed the blanket wrapped around her and the kid, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed staring at her. She chuckled and smiled at him. She sat up and stretched, feeling an ache in her arms and legs. The kid waddled towards her and hugged her leg. He had misty eyes when he gazed at her, and Nella understood. He relied on her and didn’t want anything to happen to her. “Don’t worry, kid,” she said, patting his back, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good,” Din said, moving off his bed, “because I won’t let you leave without a fight. Maker help anyone that ever separates us again.”

Nella smiled at him and crawled out of bed, walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and gazed into his helmet. “So, where are you taking us?”

“We’re already here. I figured this would be a good place to regroup for a day or two before we make our way to a permanent system to hide,” he said, running his hands down her back.

“Permanent?” she grinned.

“Mhm,” he sighed, “I have a few ideas, but I figured _we_ could decide together.”

Her grin grew wider as she chuckled. “You asking me to move in with you, Din?”

There was a loud banging on the side of the hull. Din let out an annoyed sigh as he dropped his arms and walked to release the ramp. “I told her to wait,” he mumbled. 

The ramp fell, and standing at the end was a familiar shock trooper, Cara Dune. Nella smiled and waved at her before picking up the child from her bed. Cara boarded the ship, slugging Din as a hello. “You can guess my surprise when I received your transmission,” she chuckled.

“We’re just staying for a few days to regroup. It’s been a rough couple of weeks,” Din replied, glancing over to Nella.

“You look like hell,” she added, walking to Nella, “that’s a nasty bruise you have.”

Nella reached up and touched her cheek, running to the bathroom to look. Her cheek had a large purple and blue spot that stretched across her cheekbone. She continued checking the rest of her body. She felt pains all over. She slid off her shirt to see a bruise on her side, one on her shoulder, and one on her back. “Nell,” Din cautioned, “you left the door open.”

She rolled her eyes and pulled her shirt back on. “It’s nothing either of you haven’t seen before,” she replied. 

It took Din a second to realize she meant Cara was a woman and had not, in fact, seen her topless. He glanced over to her, who was chuckling at Nella’s remark. “What?”

Cara raised her eyebrows and shook her head, despite the fact she fully understood why he’d suddenly become so flustered. “Nothing,” she added, “just an interesting development.”

Nella stiffly walked back over to them and joined them. “Like he said,” she continued, “it’s been a rough couple of days. Ran into some Imps on Ryloth.”

“Shit,” she breathed, “Any survivors?”

Nella grinned and looked at Din. “Not one.”

“Perfect,” she returned the smile, “Well, we better get going. Everyone’s excited you’re back.”

Nella grabbed her pack from Din’s room, which did not go unnoticed by Cara - who continued to chuckle. “Grab a lunch from the chiller, Mando?” she asked.

Dutifully, he walked to the chiller and grabbed what she asked for. “Do you want his toy, too?” he asked.

She nodded, packing her small blanket as well. Din climbed the ladder to grab the little metal ball. The kid cooed as he watched them pack. He waddled across the table and grabbed a silk scarf. Nella saw and her eyes grew wide as she took it and quickly tossed it into Din’s chambers. She avoided Cara’s gaze as she grabbed her suit. “What the-?” Cara started as he reached for her blasters.

Din slid down the ladder. “Cara, no!” he ordered.

“Mando, are you insane? She’s Enigma.”

“I know,” he dryly added.

Cara flashed her look between Din and Nella before relaxing. “Is this all part of your ‘rough few weeks’?” 

Nella rubbed the back of her head, where she felt a knot, but continued to ignore it. She waited for Din to handle this. “We’ve been through a lot,” he continued, “but trust me, she’s on our side.”

Cara glared at Nella before looking back at Din again. She removed her hand from her blaster that was still holstered. Din walked over to Nella and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Do we have everything?” he asked, dropping the ball and her Clan Fett pendant in her hand. She looked up at him. “It was in his little pram. He loves to play with it.”

“Maybe leave that here. I don’t want…” she glanced over to Cara and then back to Din. 

He nodded and set it on the shelf in his quarters. She went to sling her bag over her shoulder, but Din stopped her and took it. “Get the kid,” he softly replied, nodding in his direction. 

Nella walked over to pick him up and noticed his glare in Cara’s direction. She smiled at him and followed Cara and Din out of the Razor Crest. Cara stayed several steps ahead as Din slowed to walk with his family. He watched Nella’s eyes light up as she realized he landed close to Omera’s village. The children were running around playing a game while the adults continued harvesting their krill. She leaned against him so he could wrap his arm around her as they walked. Winta noticed them first and sprinted towards them, wrapping her arms around Nella’s waist. “You’re here!” she exclaimed, reaching for the kid.

“Hey, Winta,” Nella smiled, “is your mother around?”

She pointed in the direction of the krill pond on the opposite side of town. Nella set the kid on the ground to run off with the rest of the children in town. They hung back for a second to watch and make sure he was safe. He turned for a second to look back at them before following Winta. Din was reluctant to leave, until he felt a small hand in his. “He’ll be fine,” she said, “it’s good for him to be with other children.”

He nodded and looked down at her. He just couldn’t shake this rare feeling of unease. She led him over to her aunt, and he recognized this feeling as nervousness. He felt his stomach drop and a cold sweat wash over him. “I think I should find Cara,” he said, feeling his heart start to race.

She glared at him suspiciously. “What’s gotten into you?” He cocked his head at her and shrugged. “The town loves you. Why are you trying to run?”

“Do you think you aunt…?” he paused, unsure of what it was he was asking; still unsure of why he was feeling this way. 

Nella smiled at him and rested her hand on the side of his helmet. “Yes. I do,” she replied, almost as if she could read his mind. “Honestly, she’ll be thrilled.” She slid her hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze before pulling him forward.

He felt more relaxed with her holding him so close to her as they walked over to her aunt. Cara was talking to Omera and shooting glances in their direction. Obviously she was still wary of Nella, and she didn’t blame her. Din wrapped his arm around her waist again, giving her side a slight squeeze. They both saw a small grin creep across her aunt’s face when she looked at them. He stopped her before they got too close. “What’s wrong?” she asked, glancing up at him worried.

He looked back in the direction of the kid and then back down at her. “Do you really think he’s fine?”

She smiled and nodded. “I do. There are enough people here that have their eyes on him, and we are secluded enough that others would be crazy to come look for him here.”

Din’s mouth twitched. “Then, do you think Omera would be fine watching him tonight?” His voice dropped an octave lower.

Nella felt a chill wash over her and an ache between her legs form. She raised an eyebrow with her smirk. “I think Winta would _love_ a sleepover with her new best friend.”

“Good,” he growled.

Nella turned and walked with him to her aunt with a grin that spread across her face and up to her eyes. She thought about a time when she was this happy with Finon, but she couldn’t. Omera dried her hands and approached them with Cara behind her. She wrapped her niece in a hug. “You look happier than the last time I saw you,” she commented, nodding at Din with a knowing look.

Nella gave her aunt a grim stare. “ Aunt Mera,” she warned, trying to conceal a small smile, “we came here to relax for a bit.”

She smiled and raised an eyebrow. “I was surprised when Cara stopped by this morning to tell us she heard from you last night.”

“I’ll have to admit, I was surprised when I woke up and we were here. He surprised me,” she added, glancing over to Din.

He shrugged and chuckled. “I didn’t think you’d mind, cyar’ika.”

Omera laughed. “Come on,” she motioned for them to follow her, “I’ll get some spotchka.”

Cara glared at Nella as she passed her, following in Omera’s steps. Nella chuckled and shook her head. “Someone’s pretty pissed I’m Enigma.”

Din wrapped his arm around her. “I’ll talk to her.”

She shook her head. “No, I think it’s best if we hash this out ourselves.”

“Just don’t kill her,” he laughed.

She smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

Omera walked out of her house holding a few small cups and a bottle of spotchka. Din respectfully declined a drink, but sat comfortably next to Nella with his hand on her leg. Omera smiled into her drink and glanced over to Cara, who rolled her eyes in annoyance. “So, what brought you back here?”

Nella looked at Din and sighed. “We needed somewhere safe to rest,” she replied, “somewhere we trusted to hide before leaving to find a permanent home.”

“Why can’t you just stay here?” she asked.

“We don’t want to bring the heat that is constantly on us here,” Din added.

She nodded. “Aunt Mera, the three of us are wanted by some terrible people.”

“They’re going to follow you no matter where you hide,” Cara added, taking a sip, “you’re better off heading back to Nevarro and ending it so you can live peacefully.”

Nella had the same thought after she absorbed some of the comments Finon had made to her while holding her captive. Din could see the look on her face and knew she agreed. He shook his head at her. “Don’t even think about it,” he said, “we aren’t going back to Nevarro.”

She glared at him, before turning back to Cara and Omera. “We haven’t actually discussed where we are going next,” she said, giving him another warning glare, “we figured we’d search charts while staying in the area for a few days.”

“Winta will love that,” Omera added. 

The children weren’t far off from them playing. Nella smiled when she saw the kid doing a trick for them with the Force. The children were impressed, and he was loving the attention. He looked over at her and gave her a small wave, which she returned. He started waddling over to them, but Winta picked him up and carried him the rest of the way. She handed him to Nella, who motioned for the bag. Din reached in and handed her the lunch they’d packed for him so he could eat. The kid smiled at Din before diving into his food. Omera looked between the little family, and her heart felt full for them. She couldn’t imagine the pain her niece had lived through, but it put her at ease to see her so happy with a family of her own. 

Cara stood up and stretched. Din glanced up at her and then back to Nella. “Mind if we talk?” he asked.

Nella shook her head at him, but he ignored her. Cara glanced between the two and rolled her eyes. “I guess so,” she muttered.

She walked off in the direction of Omera’s shed. Din patted the kid’s head and rested his helmet against Nella’s forehead. “I told you I’d take care of it,” she smiled.

“I know, and you can. I just want to warn her,” he chuckled.

He followed after her, disappearing around the corner of the house. Omera grinned even wider and looked at Nella. “This is quite the development,” she said, leaning back in her chair.

Nella tried to hide her smile, but failed miserably. “A lot has happened in the past few weeks,” she said.

“Clearly.” She took a deep breath as a few tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “What’s wrong, dear?” Omera asked, reaching for her hand across the table.

Nella shook her head. “I’m so lost, Aunt Mera,” she muttered.

The child burped and pushed his tray away. He turned to look at Nella, his hand reaching for her face. She gave him a reassuring smile before putting him on the ground to run off with the other children. Winta led him back to where they could play. Nella took a deep breath. “He loves me,” she added.

“It’s not like he’s trying to hide it,” she smirked, “I think this is the first time he’s taken his hands off you since you got here.”

Nella smiled and rolled her eyes. She was right. Din held onto her, either by keeping his arm around her waist or back, or even resting his hand on her thigh. It was like he was afraid of letting her go. “Yeah,” she nodded, “he does that.”

Omera shrugged. “I think I’m failing to see the problem.”

She glanced back in the direction he went, hoping he was far enough away that he couldn’t hear them. “He’s told me that he loves me. More than once. I can’t say it back to him, and I know it bothers him.”

“Oh,” was all Omera could utter. She took a sip of her drink, trying to think of an appropriate response. 

Nella nodded. “He’s seen me through the worst of it,” she said, wiping the rim of her eyes before the tears fell. She knew if he returned and her cheeks were wet, he’d whisk her back to the Crest to figure out what was wrong. “You can’t tell, unless you get to know him, but he’s so caring and attentive. I basically told him to fuck off the other night, and he still showed up to save my worthless ass. Even _after_ I lied and betrayed him.”

“If you don’t love him, then why do you stay with him?”

The question hit Nella in the center of the chest, hard. They both had used the kid as the excuse for so long that she thought that was the answer, but deep down she knew it wasn’t. She glanced up at her aunt, kitting her eyebrows together. “I-I don’t know.”

“I think you do, Nell,” she smiled.

“I don’t deserve him. I’ve done some pretty horrible things in my life. I married an Imp. _The Imp_ who killed my family,” she cried into her hands.

Omera looked at her, completely in shock. She waited for Nella to regain her composure before asking her to clarify. Nella told her all about Finon Vane and how he ruined her life; how he lied to her for years; how they lived a life together; how she was so madly in love with him until he ripped her heart out. “But the fucker’s dead now,” she finished, “thanks to Din.”

She froze, realizing she let his name slip to Omera. She just smiled at her, and silently promised that the name would not leave this table. “Did he kill Vane?” she asked.

Nella, trying to move past her fuck up, shook her head. “I did. But if he hadn’t come for me, I’d be dead. I honestly couldn’t believe he actually chased after me,” she smiled.

Omera gave her a side-eye as she sipped on her spotchka. “Seriously? Nell, if the man forgave you for trying to kill him, I doubt a little argument was going to end it all. I’m pretty sure he’s at the point where he’d be lost without you.”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand it. I cannot give him what he wants. I cannot love him, because then the universe will just rip him away from me like it does everything else.”

She smiled and reached across the table to hold Nella’s hand. “My dear, you do love him though. You care so deeply about him, but you’re afraid to let him in. You have it in your head that you don’t deserve it or that the universe will take him, because you’ve experienced nothing but trauma. I understand that. Well, I’m here to tell you, you do deserve it. You might not want to admit it, but I could see it plain as day all over your face when you guys stepped into town. You love him, Nella, more than you realize. And you love his little boy, too.”

“What if he turns out like Finon?” she mumbled.

Omera rolled her eyes. “You and I both know he won’t. I don’t know Vane, and I don’t honestly know _anything_ about Din,” she said, “but from what I can tell, he would put his life on the line for you. Hell, he did when you almost died during the Klatooinian raid.”

She took a long drink out of her cup, avoiding Omera’s gaze. “You know you love him,” she continued, “you’ve known it for a while.”

Her eyes shot up. She could feel the courage building in her as she nodded. “I think I do,” she mumbled, “I think I do love him, Aunt Mera.”

“Then tell him. Tell him before something does happen and it’s too late. I wish I could have told your uncle one last time.”

They stopped talking when they heard Cara and Din walking back from the shed. Nella quickly wiped her eyes, hoping to hide the fact they’d had a very serious and emotional conversation, but her efforts were futile. Din picked up his pace and approached Nella, resting his hand on her shoulder. “Is everything okay, cyar’ika?”

She nodded. “I’m fine.”

He wiped a tear off her cheek and sat down, grabbing her hand in his gloved one. Omera poured one more round before closing the bottle. “I was telling Nella,” she began, “I think Winta would love to have a sleepover with her new ‘cousin’ tonight. It will give the two of you some much needed alone time to talk.”

Cara snorted. “Yeah, _talk_.”

Din could feel his face burn as he glared at Cara for her comment. The last image he wanted running through her aunt’s mind was of them doing…then he paused and let the images run through his mind. He smiled to himself and gave her hand a loving squeeze. Cara grinned and lifted her cup to hide it, enjoying his current turmoil. Nella, desperate to leave the topic, gave her aunt her complete attention. “Thank you, Aunt Mera,” she nervously smiled.

“I’ll grab his pram from the ship later,” Din said, “so he has something to sleep in, and we packed his toy here and a little blanket. And Nella has these little dinners…”

Omera leaned over and stopped him. “He’ll be fine,” she smiled, “I am also a mother. I’ve got plenty of stuff in the house.”

He nodded, suddenly nervous. He knew, earlier, he had the same thought. Now, he was worried about leaving the kid alone for even a few minutes. Nella tried to hide her grin and glanced lovingly at him. “I told you he’d be fine,” she soothed, “we aren’t even that far away. The ship is a hundred yards from the edge of town.”

“Besides, I can stay in here for the night, if it’ll make you feel better,” Cara added, nodding at Nella.

He relaxed a little and nodded at everyone as a thank you. He leaned back in his chair, keeping Nella’s hand in his. She felt her pocket vibrate as she pulled her comm link out. Din looked at the device and then back at her. “It’s from Greef,” she said, concerned.

“What does he want?”

She shrugged and stood. “I’ll go back to the ship and listen to it.”

“Nell…

“It’ll be fine. I’ll run it on a secure channel,” she said, placing a hand on the side of his helmet, “just keep an eye on the kid until I get back.”

Cara stood up. “I’ll go with you,” she said abruptly.

“Cara, that’s not necessary,” Din warned.

They both ignored him. “Then keep up,” Nella sneered, spinning on her heel to head back to the Crest.

He groaned and watched them briskly walk away. “Just don’t kill each other!” he shouted after them.

Omera laughed at his obvious pain and anguish, just knowing they were going to hash things out. Cara didn’t care what he said, she refused to trust Nella. 

> _“She’s Enigma, Mando! She was sent to kill you and snag the kid. How can you trust her?”_
> 
> _He huffed. “Because she had every opportunity to kill me and she didn’t. She could have taken the kid and ran, and she didn’t.”_
> 
> _Cara shook her head. “Everyone has their price, and once she’s offered the right one, she will turn on you.”_
> 
> _Din crossed his arms and stood straighter. “With all due respect, Cara, you don’t know what we’ve been through, what we’ve done for each other.”_
> 
> _“I think I can take a wild guess what you’ve done to each other, which is why you’re making a stupid decision.”_

Din hesitated for a moment, wanting to chase after them, but he knew he needed to let them settle this. 

“They’ll be fine,” Omera chuckled.

He glanced back at her. “Cara is ready to kill her. She found out who she is…” Omera frowned and looked at him. “She was sent by The Guild to come after me and the kid.”

She nodded and suddenly understood the complexity of their relationship. She knew nothing about her niece’s past, except now for Finon. She could tell Nella was sorry for what she’d done, she had striven to make amends, and grown to care for her former bounty. “Then she’ll be able to take care of herself.”

***

“Nella, wait!” Cara shouted, running after her.

“I said to keep up.” Nella took longer strides. They’d made it back to the ship, and she reached for the release when she heard the click of a blaster behind her. “I swear, Cara, if you shoot me…”

“Turn around, slowly,” she growled.

Nella raised her hands and slowly moved to face Cara, giving her a dark glare. “I hope you thought this through,” she added.

“I did. I’m doing this for his own good.”

“Are you going to shoot me? Because we both know he will be here the second the sound goes off,” she said.

She tightened her grip on the blaster. “Why are you still receiving communications from The Guild?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” she growled, “I stopped sending them transmissions after we left Tatooine.”

Nella crouched low, ready to run at Cara, but she kept her blaster trained on her. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Why don’t you put the blaster down and give me a fair fight?”

“This is a fair fight,” Cara grinned.

She glared at the shock trooper. “Then, pull the trigger and see what happens.”

***

The shot echoed around the village, and Din jumped out of his seat. “Shit,” he mumbled. He sprinted in the direction of the Razor Crest. He could hear their fighting before he could see it. There was a charred mark on the ship, no doubt where the blaster shot made impact. 

Nella leaned to the left as Cara swung at her, her arm sliding past. Nella swung with her opposite arm and connected with Cara’s jaw. Cara moved away, but Nella brought her leg up, kicking her in the chest and sending her back even farther. Standing, the shock trooper gained her composure, ready to keep fighting. Nella blocked every jab and punch with ease as Cara grew weary. “Cara!” Din shouted as he approached.

Spinning, Nella swept her feet out from under her. Cara fell on her ass and growled. “Stay out of this, Mando!”

Nella took this distraction and pulled a blade from her belt, pinning Cara to the ground under her. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she seethed, “I just want you to get it through your thick skull that he trusts me, and I will kill anyone who so much as looks at him or my kid wrong. That includes _you_.” 

Din ran over and pulled Nella off Cara, pulling her against him. Cara slowly stood and wiped the grass and dirt off her. “Cara, I tried to warn you. I watched her kick the ass of the most lethal woman I know.” Nella cleared her throat and glared at him with a half-crazed look. “I’m sorry. _Second_ most.”

“That’s because she couldn’t keep her grubby hands to herself, and the next time I see her, that Twi’lek bitch is dead,” Nella said, fire and rage still burning in her eyes.

Din laughed and set her down. “The kid patched me up. I’m fine.”

She spun to face him. “She’s still dead.”

Nella walked to the ship and hit the release for the hold doors to open, and she disappeared into the hold. Cara was chuckling as she rubbed her shoulder. “I still don’t trust her,” she said, “but I have more respect for her.”

Din sighed. “The kid trusts her,” he said, “and he can…sense things.”

“You mean _her_ kid?” Cara laughed.

Din looked at her, cocking his head to the side with a smile. Nella did say he was her kid. He felt that same tight feeling in his chest he was used to at this point. He finally understood that it was love, and the fact that she’d decided the kid was her family made him love her even more.

Nella slid down the ladder and stopped at the top of the ramp. Din turned his attention to her instantly when he saw the concerned look on her face. “We need to have a serious conversation about where our next stop is, and Cara might want to be involved with this.”

He frowned and looked at Cara before glancing back at her. “Why?”

She sighed and slowly approached them. “Greef’s message was…something. He said The Client’s ranks have grown on Nevarro. They’ve taken over. He wants us to come back and help eliminate him. I don’t trust him at all, and think he’d turn on us in a heartbeat. _However_ , he made a great point. With The Client gone, we are free.”

Din tensed and shook his head. “I’m not taking you and the kid back there. I will go alone if this is what we decide to do. The two of you will stay here with Cara, while _I_ go.”

“Absolutely not! You think I’m going to let you waltz back there alone? Are you insane?”

“I feel like this discussion doesn’t really involve me…” Cara began.

Nella turned her attention to her. “If we go, I want you with us as extra firepower.”

“I’m not in the mood to play soldier anymore. Especially fighting some local warlord.”

Din sighed and looked at Cara, realizing this was their best chance to be free from the Imps. “He’s not a local warlord,” he added, “He’s Imperial.”

Cara thought about it for a minute and then grinned. She hated the Imperials more than most. “I’m in.”

Nella smiled at her. Din sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know, Nell.”

Cara started backing away from them. “I’ll go…watch the kid with Omera,” she mumbled, leaving them alone to argue.

She waited until she was out of earshot before Nella rebutted, “Din, we can’t keep living on the run. Finon said they have a whole operation on Nevarro. If we take it out, we can actually be free. We can settle here instead of somewhere isolated.”

He approached her and rested his hands on her arms. “Then we need to stop somewhere to get more reinforcements, because we’re either going together and with more protection or I’m going alone.”

“If Greef tries to double cross us,” she began.

He chuckled. “I’ll make him regret calling you.”

She smiled at him before turning to walk back up the ramp. She grabbed the kid’s pram and another blanket for him. Din followed her in and closed the hold behind him. “Your aunt said she wanted to give us time to talk?” he muttered, watching her.

Nella turned and looked at him nervously. “We can talk about it later,” she said, suddenly rushing nervously around. 

He noticed her change in demeanor and shifted against the frame. “About what?”

“Don’t worry about it,” she snapped. She stood up straight and looked at him apologetically. “Oh, Din, I’m sorry I snapped. Let’s get the kid settled and then we’ll talk. I promise.”

His eyebrows narrowed as he walked over to her, grabbing the blanket and pram from her. He motioned for her to follow as they walked back to town with the supplies for the kid’s sleepover. Omera and Cara were sitting at the table still, laughing at the kids when they joined them. The kid ran over to them, holding his arms up to be held. Nella leaned down and grabbed him. He yawned and rested his head against her. Din smiled and rested his arm on the back of her chair when Winta approached him. She looked at him, cocking her head to the side. She looked at the metal covering his body and then the blaster resting on his hip. Nella smiled at Omera while they watched the cautious interaction. She reached out to touch the pauldron on his shoulder, but froze and glanced up at his helmet. “How come you don’t take off your helmet?” she asked, innocence pouring out of her eyes. 

“Winta!” Omera chastised.

“It’s fine, Mera,” he laughed, before turning to the little girl. “I do sometimes,” he replied in a soft voice, “I have to eat.”

Her eyebrows narrowed as she continued to study him. “Nella, have you seen his face?”

Nella chuckled and continued cradling the child against her chest. “No,” she added, “It’s against his vow as a Mandalorian for me to see his face.”

Winta looked between the two of them. “Is it comfortable?”

He thought about it for a minute. He never really considered whether the helmet was comfortable or not, because it was a part of him. He couldn’t remember a time without it. Din shrugged. “I don’t notice it anymore,” he said, “except when I sleep. It’s nice not having to sleep with it on.”

Nella saw Cara stifle a laugh when she remembered the scarf she’d grabbed from the kid earlier. “That answers a few questions I had,” she mumbled. Nella kicked her under the table which drew out a smile from Omera too.

Winta looked around at the table confused, but then turned her attention back to the man under interrogation. “Can I touch your helmet?”

He nodded and she climbed into his lap. Din froze for a second. He wasn’t great with kids. He wasn’t sure how to proceed from here. He rested his hand on her to keep her from falling while she placed her hands on the side of his helmet. She traced the indentions and tried to peer into it through his visor. “What color are your eyes?” she asked.

He smiled and chuckled at her. “Brown.”

Nella turned back to him surprised. “They are?”

“What do you not like brown eyes?” he chided.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. Nella glanced back down at the kid, who was fast asleep in her arms. “Do you have hair?” Winta continued.

“I do,” he laughed again, “and it’s also dark brown.”

She smiled at him. “Like mine?”

He nodded. “Just a lot shorter.”

“He’s got scruff on his face too,” Nella mumbled a little too loud.

Winta looked at her. “I thought you hadn’t seen his face.”

“Oh-I-uh…”

“Now, who’s flustered,” Din whispered to her with a chuckle.

She glared at him and then looked back at Winta. “I’m just guessing. Since he doesn’t ever take his helmet off, how does he shave?” she replied.

Omera and Cara laughed, not even trying to hide it as Winta turned back to Din. “Do you have a name?”

“Okay, Winta,” Omera said, “that’s enough questions for one day. Leave the Mandalorian alone.”

“Sorry,” she muttered to him.

He looked at the child on his knee and smiled. He wondered if Nella had the same spirit and inquisitive mind as Winta when she was younger. Something told him it ran in the family. “It’s Din,” he whispered to her. 

A smile creeped across Nella’s face as he eavesdropped. “Din?” she whispered back.

He nodded. “But let’s just keep that between the three of us, okay?”

Winta grinned as she glanced to Nella and then back at Din. She leaned her head against the way the kid leaned against Nella. He gazed over at her and saw her eyes lighting up at the sight. He thought he could see it in her eyes, but he wasn’t sure. There was almost a split second where he could have sworn he saw what she could not give him. Cara cleared her throat, which brought both of them back to the table. “So, did the two of you finish hashing out this plan of yours?” she asked.

Nella nodded and slowly rocked the kid. “Yeah. We’ll leave in a couple of days,” she added, turning to Omera, “and with any luck, we will be coming back here when it’s all over.”

Omera nodded. “Cara told me what was going on. I hope you’re able to find that peace,” she said, reaching for her niece’s hand. 

She chuckled. “With a Mandalorian, a Shock Trooper, and Enigma coming at them, I’m pretty sure they will wish they never stepped foot on Nevarro.”

Omera’s eyes grew wide. “ _You’re_ Enigma?”

Nella nodded. “Yeah, I was.”

Din looked over at her, noting her answer. “Was?”

She sighed. “Enigma can never show her face at the Guild again,” she added, “unless Greef let’s it slide. But even then, you knew I wanted to retire. Otherwise, why would I have taken your bounty?” she smiled at him.

Everything suddenly made sense to Omera as she realized the depth of their relationship. Her niece was the deadliest woman in the galaxy, and she was sent after the Mandalorian. She glanced over to him, who had his gaze trained on her.“Mando,” she said, watching him situate his position with Winta on his lap, “I can take her.”

He shook his head. “It’s fine. I-,” he paused and smiled, “I don’t mind.”

They sat a few more hours. Eventually Winta and the kid got their second wind and ran off with the children again. Din resumed his position closer to Nella with his arm draped over the back of her chair. She leaned into him, relishing in the amount of safety and comfort she felt when he was near her. As night drew closer, the children were called back to their homes. Din scooped the kid up in his arms and looked down at him. “You’re staying here tonight,” he said, and they both saw the kid light up, “so that means listen to Aunt Mera.”

Nella smirked and bumped her shoulder against him. Winta hugged Nella’s side and gazed up at her. “Are you guys going to stay?” she innocently asked.

“Hopefully one day we will,” she replied.

She smiled. “Good. I like your kid,” she added, “and Din.”

She leaned down closer to her and whispered, “Me too. A lot. I think I’ll keep them around.”

Winta grinned and snuck a glance up at Din. “If you see his face…?”

Nella chuckled. “I’ll make sure to report back.”

Din handed Omera the kid and walked back to the Razor Crest with Nella, his arm around her waist. It would slowly slide down the closer they got. As they boarded the ship, they noticed how empty it felt without the kid. Din stiffly walked over to the table and started removing his armor. She frowned as she watched him finally relax a little more. “Are you okay?” she asked, approaching to help him.

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little sore from last night. Beskar prevents the shots from breaking through, but there’s nothing for the impact.”

“If it hurts…” she started.

He looked up at her. “It’s easier to deal with a few bruises and sore muscles than the thought of holding you dead in my arms, Nellanna.”

Her heart stopped. “Din…”

He pulled her into his lap as he ran his hands down her back. He rested his helmet on her chest and felt his walls start to come down. “Din…” she whispered again, “I want to have that discussion now.”

He gazed up at her and nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the whole truth about Finon,” she breathed, “I just wanted to move past him and never think of him again. I’m sorry I constantly hide things from you; I’m sorry that I stabbed you in the back on Tatooine.”

“Nell…” he began to protest.

“Just, just let me finish.” She took a deep shaky breath. “I’ve known for a while how I’ve felt about you, but I couldn’t bring myself to let myself feel it. I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever cared about; I thought it was something I had done. But then you…” she paused and felt a tear escape. Din caught it with his thumb as he stroked her cheek, waiting for her to finish. She took a deep breath and she slowly let it out before saying, “I’m in love with you, Din.”

He stood up sharply and wrapped her legs around his waist, walking towards his bed. She reached behind her for the scarf and tied it around her head. She heard his helmet settle on the floor just outside his chambers as she waited for him to return to her. He looked at her, his heart racing. “I love you, Nella,” he breathed.

She bit her bottom lip and smiled. “I love you, Din.”

He kissed her ravenously, laying her back against the bed. She ran her feet down his legs as her hands played with the curls at the base of his skull. He stopped and looked down at her for a second, her lips plump and swollen. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“When this is all over,” he breathed against her lips, “do you really want to live here with me?”

She smiled and held his face in her hands. “Din, I just told you that I’m in love with you. Yes, I want to live here with you. Hell, if we aren’t successful, I’ll follow you everywhere around the galaxy. You’re stuck with me now.”

Din continued to look down at her, feeling like he owed her _something_. She knew nothing about his past, but he knew everything about her. “Nell,” he softly said, “I’m from Aq Vetina. My family was murdered during The Clone Wars, and that’s when the Mandalorians found me.”

He was speaking so fast and Nella could feel his heart beating faster. She gave him a nervous smile. “What are you doing?’

“My name is Din Djarin.”

Nella stopped herself from interrupting him. She wanted to hear everything. “I’ve committed more sins that you can count, _especially_ with Ran’s crew. I’ve killed in cold blood, and I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of. But I want to make everything right again, for you and for our kid.”

She smiled at him, no longer nervous. “Din, we’ve both done some pretty terrible things in our past. We’re starting over, _together_.”

He let out his breath. “Do you trust me, Nellanna Jissard?”

“Of course, _Din Djarin_ ,” she grinned even more.

His hands left her sides as he tugged on the sides of her scarf, but she reached up to stop him. “I told you _do not_ break your creed on someone like me,” she pleaded.

He huffed. “How many times do I have to explain it to you that I love someone like you?” He took another deep breath. “I just don’t want you to be disappointed at what you see if you decide to spend-”

She kissed him and then let him pull off her blindfold. Her eyes remained closed, even though she was dying to open them. “It’s okay,” he whispered against her lips, “open your eyes, Cyar’ika.”

Slowly, she let her eyes flutter open and she was met with beautiful brown eyes gazing down at her. They pulled her in and hypnotized her, but she had to examine the rest of him. He had dark, unruly hair and just a little scruff on his face. She gently ran her fingers over his face, and he closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. “I could never be disappointed,” she marvelled. 

She peppered his face with soft kisses. His hands slid down her sides until it found the hem of her shirt. She sat up to remove it, and his shirt soon followed. She let her eyes travel down his body as she noted each scar he had. Her hands traced the same lines she’d committed to memory. As her hands continued to move south, she could feel that he was ready for her. She reached for his belt and buckle on his pants, undoing it and sliding everything right off him before helping him remove the rest of her garments. He kissed her passionately again, his hands resting on her sides and cupping her breasts. He let one hand wander down to the center of her legs, feeling just how ready she was for him. He groaned against her mouth. “I haven’t eaten all day,” he growled.

She giggled and then moaned as his mouth hit all of her favorite, sensitive areas on her body: the base of her neck, each breast, her lower abdomen. He bit and nipped at her inner thighs, as he grew increasingly closer to where she longed for his mouth to touch. Leaning up to kiss her again, he ran his fingers up and down her center first before cleaning them off with his mouth. She bit her bottom lip as he dipped back down and toyed with her, this time the warmth of his mouth drawing out a loud cry from her. “Fuck, Din,” she hissed.

He hummed against her, the vibrations causing her to arch her back off the bed. Her hands tugged at his hair and the sheets as he moved his tongue against her. Her whimpers and restrained gasps echoed off the walls. He rested his firm hands on her lower abdomen to keep her in place as he continued to torture her with his mouth. Never had he tasted anything sweeter than her. He kept his eyes open as he looked up at her. She gazed down at him; this new intimate connection almost enough to make her climax. He slid one hand down with his fingers ready to do the work. He felt her grind her hips against him as he massaged her, his fingers moving in circles around her. Her groans stirred something in him. He could feel her legs starting to shake around his shoulder as he continued, applying pressure inside of her. She moaned again, as her walls clenched around him, cumming around his fingers. He hungrily cleaned her and his fingers up before leaving a trail of kisses up her body. He kissed her so passionately, she could still taste herself on his lips. 

They paused for a moment, allowing her to catch her breath. She gazed into his chocolate brown eyes again, wanting to remember every fiber in those irises. “I love you,” she murmured. He smiled at her and reached into his drawer. She took it from his hand and opened it for him, reaching between them and rolling it delicately on. “Maybe one day, we won’t need one,” she added with a devilish grin. She kept a firm grip on him as she pumped him a few times.

He groaned and leaned against her. Her hands slid to his back, her nails lightly running up and down his rippling muscles. He slid into her with ease and she let out a high-pitched gasp. Her pupils had dilated past the point of the brown in her eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to _that_ ,” she smiled.

He frowned for a second. “What do you mean?”

She slowly ground her hips into his. “Din,” she chuckled, “do you not know how big you are?”

He tried to hold in his growl as she moved to get more situated. “No,” he rasped, “I guess not.”

Nella grinned and licked her lips. “I’m surprised I can fit all of you,” she whispered against his ear, “Now, roll over. I want back on top.” He gladly flipped them over, happy to watch her ride him. She paused for a second. “It’s my turn to fuck you. It’s my turn to make sure you’re satisfied.”

She slowly rose up before sinking back down on him. A deep, guttural sound rumbled through his chest as his hands dug into the sides of her hips. She moved her hips in a motion he couldn’t begin to describe. All rational thought left his head as he peered up at the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. Her brown hair was falling out of her loose braid and framing her face. She continued to gaze down at him with loving eyes as moans and cries escaped her lips with each movement and thrust. Nella kept a grip on his forearms. “Din,” she cried, “you feel so amazing.”

“Cyar’ika,” he growled, “don’t stop.”

Their pants soon filled the air as Nella’s movements soon became more erratic. Din sat up and thrust into her several times before stopping. She looked down into his eyes. “Look at me,” he said, “Look at me while we finish.”

She smiled and wrapped her legs around him as she continued to grind against him. He used his new position to sheath himself completely in her with each movement. Her whimpers mixed with a few curses and his name drove him mad. Her body, wrapped so perfectly around him, reacted in the most arousing ways he could ever imagine. “Right there, Din,” she breathed. 

Her legs started to shake around him. He used the leverage he had to flip them back over, still keeping their eyes trained on each other. He moved almost completely out of her before making a swift movement back inside. They weren’t holding back. Nella kissed him, groaning into his mouth as his hips moved against hers. A fever washed over her body and every nerve ending was on fire as she relished in his touch. She cried his name when the final wave of pleasure washed over her as her body clamped down on his coating him in her euphoria. Din moved several more times, trying to hold it together as long as he could. The feeling of her body on him was so addicting. He never wanted it to end, but he needed that release. He needed _her_ to feel how much he loved _someone like her_. Her name danced off his lips as he came. Her hips bucked against his as they rode through their orgasms together and ending them with a passionate kiss that led to her wrapping her legs around him and pulling him even deeper inside.

He rested his forehead on hers and smiled. “You have the most beautiful eyes,” she whispered, “and I never want to stop looking at them.”

He smiled. “You can see them whenever you want, Cyar’ika.” He rolled over onto his side and pulled her to his chest. “They’re yours, along with the rest of me.”

Nella leaned up and kissed him deeply. “And I’m all yours, Din Djarin.”

Din gazed into her eyes and smiled even wider. “I love your smile,” she added, looking down at him. She saw his face burn a little. “Are you embarrassed?” She giggled.

“A little!” He tried to look away from her. “It’s been years since someone has seen my face, and none of my partners have ever seen it.”

“Din,” she said, resting her hand on his, “I’m going to remind you every day how much I love everything about you. Your eyes, your nose, your smile.” She paused and gave him a devilish grin. “Your tongue.”

He laughed and kissed her. “You know, when you smile you get these adorable little crinkles on the side of your eyes? And these dimples in your cheeks that are driving me crazy right now,” she added, “and your eyes…”

“If I knew you were going to shower me with compliments, I would have taken that damn thing off sooner.”

Nella’s gaze turned serious as she continued inspecting his face. “Does this make me your…” she paused before adding “riduur?”

“Well, not _officially_ , but only if you want to be,” he said, almost concerned about what her response would be.

She thought about it for a second. _“My dear, you do love him though. You care so deeply about him, but you’re afraid to let him in,”_ her aunt had only told her hours before. She was right. Nella cared so deeply about him; more than she ever did Finon. She thought Vane was her forever, but he was just a pit stop on the way to finding her Mandalorian. Din Djarin, the hardened warrior and bounty hunter, was the most delicate, loving partner she’d ever had. He understood her completely and loved her despite the baggage she carried around. She smiled at him and leaned down to kiss him. “I saw your face,” she laughed, “there’s no going back now, ner kar’ta.”

Din’s grin widened as he kissed her again before saying, “Mhi solus tome.”

Nella’s eyes softened as she added, “Mhi solus dar'tome.” 

“Mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verd,” they finished together. 

“He will be a great warrior too,” she added before kissing him passionately and curling up on his chest. She drew circles with her fingers, lulling him into a deep sleep. Neither of them had ever slept so peacefully before. Despite the unorthodox procedure, they felt they’d finally become the family they both longed for; the strong, loving partners they deserved. And so, their first night of pure happiness and restful sleep found them curled up in each other’s arms, clinging to each other like a lifeline tethering them to this realm. But the universe was a cruel place that would soon disrupt them, making their first night their last.

**Translations**

  * Ner kar’ta - my heart
  * Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verd. - We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise a warrior.




	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nella and Din decide it’s time to put an end to The Client once and for all. Little do they know, they’re walking into a trap that neither one of them will be the same from ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Violence, Fluff, Death

Taking a deep breath, Din stretched and wrapped his arm around Nella, who was still fast asleep next to him. She was smiling in her sleep, and his heart leapt. Besides the kid, she was the most precious thing in his life. Never before had he had someone worth waking up for. He remembered what she suggested about Nevarro. The last thing he wanted was to bring both her and the kid into enemy territory, but she was right. If they wanted to live free from that, the Client needed to be eradicated. Honestly, he wouldn’t want anyone else at his side if things got ugly. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Her eyes fluttered open as she gazed up into his chocolate, brown eyes. Sighing, she rested her hand on his cheek and kissed him again. 

He smiled against her lips and kissed her over and over. She leaned against his chest and gazed down at him, running her hands through his hair. He closed his eyes at her touch as he rested his hands on her back. “I wish we could stay like this forever,” he mumbled.

She smiled at him. “We will,” she replied, “soon.”

Nella ran her hands down his face, memorizing it. He started to blush again the longer she looked at him. “What?” he smiled.

She kissed his forehead, then each eye, cheek, and finally his lips. “I can’t believe you’d take your helmet off for me,” she whispered.

“I’d do so much more for you, if you asked me to, cyar’ika,” he grinned, flipping her over to kiss her more passionately. 

She laughed as he kissed her jaw. “We need to get up,” she said, “I’m sure the kid misses us.”

He growled against her neck and lightly nipped at her skin and ignored her suggestion. She didn’t bother stopping him either. She let out a sigh and smiled. He kissed across her stomach, stopping at her scar Finon gave her before traveling back up to her mouth. “I love you, Nella,” he mumbled before kissing her again.

She grabbed his face and looked at him. “I love you,” she smiled before kissing him again.

She moved away and slid out of his bed. He grinned at her as he watched the bright, ship lights made her entire body glow. It accented every dip and curve of her that he found so delectable. She stretched her aching muscles and turned to him. She saw the hungry look in his eyes as he gazed at her naked body. “Enjoying the show?” she chuckled, fighting the urge to hide herself. His grin widened the longer he looked at her. “Wipe that stupid grin off your face, Djarin, before someone sees it.”

He slid out of bed and sat on the edge as he continued to watch her grab a towel from the shelf. He followed her into the shower as she turned on the water to almost boiling. She laughed when she looked up at the expression on his face. “What’s wrong?” she chuckled, wrapping her arms around him.

“Do you always take showers this hot? Maker, it’s unbearable,” he replied, reaching behind her to turn down the temperature.

Nella laughed again and leaned back into the water to wet her hair. Din felt a knot in his stomach form as he watched the water drip down her. He bent down, burying his face into her neck as he nipped and kissed it, water splashing around them. She reached behind her and grabbed shampoo, working it into his scalp as she pulled his face to hers for a kiss. He did the same to her as the water washed the bubbles away for them. They continued washing and kissing each other, copping a feel every now and again. Nella giggled when his hands grabbed her ass, squeezing it as he kissed her. “I’m pretty sure,” he murmured against her lips, “this is the longest shower I’ve ever taken.”

She raised an eyebrow and stared at him with her dark, round eyes. Her hands traveled to the same area on him, and she gave him a light squeeze. “I guess we will need to have fun in here more often,” she smiled. 

He leaned down and kissed her again, and then stared into her eyes. “Nell,” he whispered, “what made you change your mind?”

She sighed, holding his face in her hands as the water continued to course down their bodies. “Honestly? Aunt Mera,” she smiled, “but I wasn’t sure about how I felt until we were in the market on Ryloth.” She watched as his eyes lit up a little, and she knew what he was questioning. “I loved Finon at one point, but when I saw him again, all I felt was pain and anger.”

He ran his thumb over her cheek where the bruise was already starting to yellow. Even though the man was dead, he still hated him for what he did to her. 

“And I didn’t kill him for me,” she whispered, “The second he threatened you, I knew I had to put an end to it.” Nella ran her hands over his arms and smiled at him. “I meant what I told Cara. I will kill anyone who looks at you or my kid wrong.”

He gave her a small smile and leaned down to kiss her, again. “If you wouldn’t have killed him,” he replied, “I would have. I had never been so scared in my entire life than that moment when he had the blaster at your head.”

She reached behind her and turned the shower off. “Maker, help anyone who gets in our way,” she laughed. Before stepping out of the shower, she grabbed his face and looked at him again. “I’m going to miss seeing those eyes.”

He smirked. “I told you that you can see them whenever you want, Cyar’ika, because they’re yours.”

***

They walked into town, arms wrapped tight around the other. Cara rolled her eyes and gagged when she saw them approaching Omera’s home. Winta and the kid were sitting outside playing a game when they saw Nella and Din approaching. Winta was the first to jump up, and she immediately ran to Din, wrapping her arms around him. He glanced over to Nella, unsure of what was happening before he patted her back. “We had so much fun last night,” she beamed up at him, “can he stay tonight?”

Din looked at Nella again for help. “We have a few things to take care of first,” Nella said, “But once we are finished, I think we are going to come back here for a while.”

The kid had finally waddled over to them and held his arms up for Nella to hold him. He hugged her before reaching out for Din to hold him, to which he obliged and cradled the child. Cara huffed and joined them. “So, are we leaving tonight?”

Nella nodded. “We need to stop at Arvala-7, first,” Din added, “and then we are headed back to Nevarro.”

Omera walked out, dressed for another day of work, and smiled at the two of them. “I trust you had a restful night’s sleep,” she chided.

Cara gagged again as Nella and Din shared an embarrassed look. “We slept well enough,” he replied, “thank you for watching him last night.”

“It was no trouble at all, Mando,” Omera added, “I understand the need for alone time. When my husband was alive, my mother would take Winta from time and again to let us have some time for ourselves.”

Nella’s face burned as she glared at her aunt. “Aunt Mera,” she said through her teeth, “I really don’t need you acknowledging what you believe happened last night.”

She laughed and leaned into her, hoping Winta couldn’t hear. “It’s not a speculation if there’s a nice purple mark on your neck, _dear_.”

Her eyes widened as her hand flew to the side of her neck to cover it. She slapped Din with the back of her other hand on his shoulder and he chuckled. “I think it sends a clear message to anyone who tries to fuu-mess with you,” he said, glancing from the kid to Winta. 

“You gave her a _bruise_?” Winta asked, confusion written on her face.

Nella closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them again she was back on the Razor Crest, alone. But when she opened them, she saw everyone still standing around her. “I ran into the frame on the ship,” she said quickly.

Cara snorted and Omera hid her smile as Nella frantically dug herself out of this situation. “Hopefully the bruise will go away soon and I’ll learn to _cover it up_ better,” she added, glaring at Din. She leaned closer to him and whispered, “I’m going to kill you in your sleep.”

“Promises, promises,” he chuckled.

“Well,” Omera said, changing the subject, “the kids already had breakfast. I’ll fix some coffee for you, Nella. Mando?”

He respectfully declined again and set the kid on the ground to run off with Winta, again. He tossed his arm around Nella’s waist and held her close again. “Next time, I’ll just leave one where no one can see.”

She shot a glare at him. “Laugh it up now,” she seethed, “I will find a way to get you back.”

“ _Please_ tell me there’s a separate area I get to crash on our journey,” Cara interrupted, “or at least a soundproof room.”

Din and Nella sat down at the table near Omera’s house. “He will be on his best behavior,” Nella said, “that I can promise you.” Din grumbled and squeezed her thigh under the table, to which Nella slapped away his hand. “Besides, he had a new bed installed, and it’s pretty comfortable.”

“You mean you’ve actually slept in it?” Cara asked, propping her feet up.

“Ha ha!” Nella glared.

Omera handed her niece and Cara cups of coffee as she sat down next to them. “I suspect you’ll be leaving soon,” she added.

Nella nodded. “Yes, we want to get this Client taken care of sooner rather than later.”

Omera sighed and took a sip of coffee herself. “Just please be careful,” she muttered, “we just got you back into our lives.”

Nella reached across the table for her hand and gave it a loving squeeze. “The galaxy’s best bounty hunters and a former shock trooper are about to storm Nevarro. They should be the ones who are worried.”

Omera tried to give her a hopeful look, but both of them had experienced enough loss to know better than to get their hopes up. She saw Din move his hand back to her thigh, resting it reassuringly on her as a silent gesture that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her niece. She was unaware that by Mandalorian law, he’d married her last night, but she didn’t need to know that in order to understand how deeply he cared about Nella.

***

Nella set the kid in his pram as they prepared to leave Arvala-7. The IG unit that was onboard, against Din’s wishes, kept trying to push Nella out of the way as he was “this child’s nurse droid.”

“I know what I’m doing,” she argued, “I’ve been taking care of him for a while now.”

“My primary focus is for the care of this child,” IG-11 replied.

She glared at him, and then over to Kuiil who had reprogrammed the droid. “If you don’t call off your nanny, I’m going to send a blaster through its head.”

Cara was watching Nella argue with the droid and Kuiil on the monitors in the cockpit. She chuckled and looked at the back of Din’s helmet. “Your girlfriend is about to kill that droid,” she laughed.

“Good,” he muttered, “She knows I don’t trust droids, so she’s going to protect the kid at all costs.”

“And isn’t that the droid’s function?”

He huffed. 

Cara sighed and shook her head as she watched a frustrated Nella climb up the ladder to join them. “When this is all over,” she seethed, “I’m sending a blaster shot straight through his core processor.”

Din spun around in his chair to look at her and chuckled. “Take a number.”

She smiled at him and rested her hand on the side of his helmet before taking a seat in the other chair next to Cara. “I sent a transmission to Greef. He’s to meet us at the edge of the lava fields,” Nella added.

“Do you trust your contact?” Cara asked.

“No,” they both said in unison.

She chuckled and nodded. Din looked at Nella, smiling beneath his beskar. “He’s going to be so pissed when you walk off the ship with me,” he added.

“He can get over it,” Nella replied, “if he has a problem with it, I can fix that real fast.”

Din chuckled and turned back around to gauge their flight. “We should be there soon,” he said.

Nella sighed and looked at Cara and then back to Din. “I’ll go suit up.”

Din watched her leave and then glanced back to Cara. He’d had this sinking feeling their entire journey, and he wanted to address it with Nella in private. “Can you…?”

She nodded, and he followed after her. She was standing at his quarters, pulling her suit out of the drawers he’d given her. She was laying it out on the bed placing her knives around it when he found her. “Nell,” he paused, looking back at Kuiil, who was busy working on the kid’s pram. 

“Do not mind me,” he said in his gravelly voice, “I’m too busy to pay attention to your conversation.”

Nell chuckled and sat at the edge of the bed, waiting for Din to finish his thought. She saw him take a deep breath before turning back to her. “Nell, I want you to stay on the ship.”

She gave him a blank stare and crossed her arms. 

“I’m serious,” he added, “I’ve had this terrible feeling since we’ve left Sorgan, and I need you to stay put.”

She continued staring at him while she searched for a way to tell him no without causing an argument. “I appreciate your concern,” she slowly said, “but no. No offense to Cara or Kuiil, but I don’t trust anyone else at your side. If things go wrong, I want to be there to drag you and my kid out of there.”

Din dropped his head and rested his hands on her shoulders. He couldn’t lose her or the kid, and if he could leave one at the ship for safe keeping, he would. He knew that she wouldn’t listen to him; she was too stubborn to stay away from the action this close to her family, but he had to try. “I can’t lose you, Nell, and I’m afraid that’s what will happen.”

“Din,” she said, in a hushed tone, “I’m not about to sit on the sidelines while my family is out there with targets on their back. I couldn’t save my parents and sisters, but I can save you. They’ll kill me before I ever let them separate us.”

“And that’s what I’m afraid of,” he said, his voice cracking, “I’m afraid you’re going to be so wrapped up in us that you’ll make a mistake.”

There was a ding and then Cara’s voice rang through the hold. “We’ve entered Nevarro’s atmosphere.”

“Please, Nell,” Din begged.

“If I promise to stay by your side the entire time,” she bargained, “will you let me go?”

He stood still for a minute, but then the child cooed at them from the IG unit’s arms. He was looking at Nella, teary-eyed with his arms stretched out. “He may not be my son,” she continued, “but I’m going to protect him like he is. And Maker, help anyone who crosses a mother’s instincts.”

Din leaned forward and touched his forehead against hers. “And I’m going to protect my _riduur_ if it’s the last thing I do,” he growled.

The corners of her mouth twitched into a smile. “Your riduur,” she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her, “will do her duty and stay _by your_ _side_ , ner kar’ta.”

He let out a deep breath and lightly nodded. “By my side, the _entire_ time.”

“Ball to your chain,” she grinned before turning to suit up, “now, we both know you cannot watch me get dressed and keep your hands to yourself.”

“Present company would not enjoy that,” Kuiil added.

“Exactly,” she agreed, “go back to your post and land this thing so we can kill that motherfucker and be done with it.”

They heard the kid laugh from behind them. “He’s going to have your mouth when he learns to talk,” Din said, lightly grabbing her chin. She winked at him and shooed him away. He turned to look at her one last time before ascending the ladder to bring them to port.

***

Greef was waiting with two other bounty hunters from the Guild when they landed. Nella stood protectively between him and the Pram when they walked off the ship. The IG Unit was ordered to stay behind until radioed, which made Din more at ease. Greef chuckled when he saw them and shook his head. “It appears you’ve grown attached to your bounties, Enigma,” he said, taking a step closer.

“That’s close enough, Greef,” she said, her voice distorted through her helmet modulator.

Din grinned and looked between her and Greef. Cara held her weapon and stood tall next to Nella, and Din was happy to see she’d put her grievances aside to support her. “You’ve brought quite the group with you, Mando!”

“We want to make sure The Client is silenced for good,” he said, his voice deep and serious.

Greef laughed. “Well let’s see the child,” he continued, “let’s see the target that means so much that _both_ of my top hunters turned their back on us.”

Din and Nella exchanged a glance before he moved the pram forward. “So, this little bogwing is what all the fuss was about,” Greef said as he took the Child out of the crib, “What a precious little creature. I can see why you didn’t want to harm a hair on its wrinkled little head.” Nella stepped forward, ready to pounce if Greef did anything funny. He placed the Child back in the crib and laughed. “Well, I’m glad this matter will be put to rest once and for all.”

Din recalled the pram to their side and the kid looked up at Nella and Din, his overprotective guardians. Kuiil led the blurrgs out of the hold, and he and Cara mounted their own. “It appears you only have three steeds,” Greef said, “maybe the shock trooper stays.”

“She’s coming,” Nella and Din said in tandem.

Greef sighed and shook his head, “Fine. Fine. At least cover your tattoo. No need to flaunt it.”

Din helped Nella up before climbing on infront of her. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself close. “The sun drops fast on Nevarro. We can walk for a spell and camp out on the river bank, then make our way into town at first light,” he added, looking at the two hunters whose hands were close to their weapons the entire time.

“Lead the way, Karga,” Din said.

They hopped on their speeders and made their way across the lava fields until it was so dark they couldn’t see in front of their blurrgs. They’d made camp, and Din, against Nella’s wishes, held her close to him and the kid all night. Greef had taken note of the Mandalorian’s protective nature and grinned. “I see my top two have gotten to know each other quite well over the last few months,” he laughed.

Both Nella and Din refused to respond, but instead sat silently as Cara forced him to change the subject. He filled them in on the reinforcements the Client called in and what to expect. The kid sat between Nella’s legs as he ate the food she’d packed for him, occasionally glancing up at her with juice dripping down his chin. She’d grab the rag she brought and wipe it off for him before he’d continue eating. “I guess he thinks you’re his mother,” Greef added, as he observed.

“Don’t test her,” Cara replied, “she will kill you for making the wrong comment about their kid.”

Greef huffed and shook his head. “So, she’s a little over protective.”

Nella’s head snapped in his direction with a knife out. Din grabbed her hand and lowered it. “He’s not worth it, cyar’ika.”

She sheathed her blade and leaned back against Din. It was then they were attacked, it ended just as fast as it happened, but Greef had been seriously injured. Nella immediately jumped to action and tried to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, but everyone froze when the kid walked over and healed him on the spot. Everyone, except Din and Nella, were shocked. Once Greef was situated and silenced for the rest of the evening, Nella cradled the kid against her and curled up against Din. Neither one of them slept that night; they wouldn’t sleep the entire time they were on Nevarro, not until the kid was safe again. 

The next morning, they continued walking towards town. When they were close to the edge, Greef stopped. “I guess this is it.”

The remaining bounty hunters behind the Din, Nella, and Cara drew their blasters. Suddenly Greef spun, drawing two blasters and shooting both hunters. He, then, raised his weapons in surrender. Both Din and Nella kept their blasters trained on him. “You better start explaining now, or I’m going to end it here.”

Greef looked at Nella, honestly terrified she was going to follow through on that promise. “The plan was to kill you and take the kid. But after what happened last night I couldn’t go through with it,” he replied, “Go on, you can gun me down here and now, and it wouldn’t violate the Code. But if you do, this child will never be safe.”

Nella tightened her grip on her blaster. “We’ll take our chances,” she growled.

He turned and begged Din to listen to him. “The Imperial client is obsessed with obtaining this asset. You tried to run, but where did it get you? He sent _her_ after you!”

“I don’t see that as a problem,” Din replied with a huff.

“This is ridiculous,” Cara spat, aiming her gun at him.

Kuiil cleared his throat, drawing attention to him and suggested, “Perhaps you should let him speak.”

Greef let out a sigh of relief. “Listen. We both need the client to be eliminated. Let me take the Child to him, and then you–”

Din and Nella both sarcastically laughed and said, “No.”

Cara looked at them, waiting for the signal to pull her trigger, but then she saw Nella relax and look at Din. “He’s right,” she said, “As long as the Imp lives he’ll send hunters after the Child.”

Din nodded. “What do you suggest?”

She sighed, lowering her blaster. “You’re not going to like it.”

Greef started to approach them. “If I may–”

“You may _not_ ,” she spat before softening and turning back to Din. “Cara will take you to ‘collect on your bounty’. Kuiil will take the kid back to the ship.”

She saw him tense when he realized she hadn’t been mentioned in her plan. “Where are you going to be?” he growled.

Nella stepped forward and grabbed his hand. “I’m going to set up across the street, ready to snipe anyone that might ambush you. The second there’s trouble, I’m going to start picking them off from the outside.”

He started to shake his head, but Cara stepped forward. “I think this is the best option we have.”

Nell could feel his hand tense in her grip. “You said you’d stay _at my side_.”

“You’re going to need back up, ner kar’ta,” she soothed, “you know I can handle this.”

“And who’s going to be your back up?”

She grinned. “I radioed in a favor before we landed. He should be waiting for us when we get there.”

Din let out a soft chuckle. “Shan?”

Nella noticed he softened a little. Whatever had happened between them on Ryloth, they both had come to respect each other. She could tell by the way Shan agreed to help. “He landed just outside of town,” she added, “so he’s waiting for my signal.”

“If anything happens to you on his watch…” 

She smiled and rested her hand on his helmet. “He already knows you’ll hunt him down and gut him.”

Din turned and looked at Kuiil. “Ride back to the Razor Crest with the kid and seal yourself in. When you’re inside, engage ground security protocols, and nothing on this planet will breach those doors.”

Kuiil nodded and tossed him a comlink. The kid cried out for Din and Nella before they left. She walked to the pram and cradled him against her. He hugged her neck before resting his hands on her helmet to look into her visor. She knew he was trying to tell her something, and she wished she could understand him. She handed him to Kuiil after she swaddled him in the small blanket she’d packed for him. Kuiil instantly took off back towards the Crest, and Din and Nella watched until they were small dots on the horizon. She gazed up at Din, placing cuffs in his hands. “I’m going to head to the shipping yard and grab Shan,” she said. She turned her glare to Greef. “If _anything_ happens to him or Cara, I will hold you completely accountable. You will look behind your shoulder every day wondering if Enigma is hiding around the corner waiting to pounce.”

Cara tried to stifle a laugh as the fear spread across his face. “You have my word no harm will come to either of them,” he swore.

Nella turned to Cara, handing her a comlink. “Hold the button down once you’re inside so I can hear everything.”

She nodded and placed the link in her pocket. Nella sighed and turned to leave when she felt his grip on her wrist. “Be careful,” he said, “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, cyar’ika.”

“Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum, ner kar’ta,” she replied.

He reluctantly let her go, wishing he could have kissed her before she ran off towards the shipping yards. He was going to be an anxious mess with both her and the kid gone from him. He already could feel their absences weighing on him the longer they were gone, as he followed Greef and Cara into town. He saw Shan’s ship parked across the way as they approached the town entrance, and suddenly he felt relief. Somehow Shan had become the only person he trusted with Nella. _Don’t let anything happen to her,_ he prayed.

***

Nella was perched on the vacant building across from the cantina where they met with The Client. Shan was positioned inside. There were way more troopers in town than Greef had promised, and she was angry. She watched them through the scope on her rifle when she felt a cool chill wash over her as she heard a familiar ship scream behind her. She flipped over and saw a TIE Fighter whizz by. “No,” she mumbled.

Suddenly an Imperial Firing Squad appeared from the alleyways and lined up in front of the building, in front of her. “Cara,” she loudly whispered into the comlink, “Troopers are surrounding the building.”

No answer.

“Shit.”

She shifted her focus to the highest ranking trooper, hoping if she sniped him out the rest would retreat. She found him, but as she pulled the trigger, the firing squad opened fire. “Cara!” She screamed into the link.

An Imperial transport pulled up emptying more troopers into the area as more filed in. “Cara!” 

“We’re under heavy fire,” she finally responded.

“They came out of nowhere from opposite sides. I tried taking out the captain, but more just arrived,” Nella added. “Mando?”

“I’m here, Cyar’ika, and I’m fine.”

The TIE Fighter lands near the transport, revealing an ex-ISB officer. Nella knew of him and felt ice fill her veins. “Shan,” she whispered, switching channels.

“I’m well hidden. What do you want to do?”

“Watch and wait,” she said, “I’m going to take him out.”

Several of the troopers began assembling a large weapon as the officer cleared his throat and began to loudly speak to those stuck inside of the cantina. “You have something I want. You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of. But you do not. In a few moments, it will be mine. It means more to me than you will ever know.”

Nella switched channels and heard Din frantically calling for Kuiil, but was receiving no response. She started to panic and relive her worst nightmare as everything she loved was about to be violently ripped away from her. She pulled him up in her sights, but then she saw several troopers turn and set their sights on her. Moff Gideon knew she was there and was now well protected. She could hear muffled arguing and shots being fired inside the cantina, suggesting they were trying to find a way out. _Please get out of there,_ she prayed.

“Your astute panic suggests that you understand your situation. I would prefer to avoid any further violence, and encourage a moment of consideration. Members of my escort have completed assembly of an E-Web heavy repeating blaster. If you are unfamiliar with this weapon, I am sure that Republican Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune of Alderaan will advise you that she has witnessed many of her ranks vaporize mid-descent facing the predecessor of this particular model,” Gideon continued in his cool presentation, “Or perhaps the decommissioned Mandalorian hunter, Din Djarin, has heard the songs of the Siege of Mandalore, when gunships outfitted with similar ordnance laid waste to fields of Mandalorian recruits in The Night of a Thousand Tears.” Nella froze. He knew Din somehow, and she feared what that might mean for him. “I advise disgraced Magistrate Greef Karga to search the wisdom of his years and urge you to lay down your arms and come outside. The structure you are trapped in will be razed in short order and your storied lives will come to an unceremonious end.”

“You think we came here without backup?” Cara shouted.

“Oh,” Gideon laughed, “you mean the famed bounty hunter, Enigma. Better known as Anadme Vane to few or Nellanna Jissard to even less? I’m sure she’s busy, right now, reliving the night her family was brutally murdered in front of her, just like I’m about to do.”

She could almost feel Din’s panic mirroring her own. Gideon had them cornered. 

“We also have sights on her partner, Shan Myrishi,” he added.

***

Din’s heart raced. Kuiil wasn’t responding; Nella was a target; and Shan couldn’t back her up. Moff Gideon was a cold bastard, and if he was anything like the stories, Nella would be the first one he’d kill. And he’d make Din watch.

“If you’re asking if you can trust me,” Gideon continued, “you cannot. Just as you betrayed our business arrangement, I would gladly break any promise and watch you die at my hand. The assurance I give is this: I will act in my own self-interest, which at this time involves your cooperation and benefit. I will give you until nightfall, and then I will have the E-Web cannon open fire.”

Cara and Greef were arguing over what to do, while Din was having flashbacks to his parents’ deaths. He’d lost his family once, and he was not about to lose them again. “I have to get Nella out of there,” he said.

“Are you nuts?” Cara asked, “The second you open that door, we’re all dead!”

“If I don’t open that door, _she’s_ dead,” he growled, “Gideon needs us. The kid is obviously safe if he still needs us.”

“Hail the Ugnaught, again,” she ordered.

“Come in, Kuiil. Kuiil!”

“Kuiil has been terminated,” IG-11 responded into the comlink. Din could hear the kid laughing in the background. He relaxed a little, realizing he was safe.

***

Nella slid down the side of the building out of the sights of the troopers and disappeared into the shadows. She would take out Moff Gideon if it was the last thing she ever did. She kept her sights trained on him as she clung to the edge of the darkness. She froze though, when she heard the stamp of a foot behind her. Four troopers had circled back and stood at the end of the alley she was in. If she fired on them, she’d draw attention to her location, bringing more heat down on her. “Freeze,” one said, as he approached her. 

Slowly, she rested her rifle against the side of the building and raised her hands in surrender. “Careful,” one of the others called after him, “that’s Enigma.”

“There’s four of us and one of her,” he replied. 

She grinned at them through her helmet. “I like those odds.”

They raised their blasters at her and shot, but she ducked and kicked off the wall, nailing one of the troopers in the head with a kick. She sent him hurtling into the wall. She dodged another shot and threw knives into the next trooper. By now, she’d drawn the attention of more from behind her. They came into the alleyway guns blazing. She slid on her knees and dodged the shots. She knocked the trooper in front of her over, using him as a shield. However, she wasn’t fast enough to dodge from both sides.

***

Din heard the shot first, followed by her scream in pain. He tensed, but Cara lunged at him to keep him inside. “Those fuckers shot her!” he exclaimed.

“You cannot just run out there. Think of the kid!” Cara exclaimed.

He was breathing heavily with rage. “IG, where are you?”

“Incoming.”

***

She fell to her knees, grabbing her side. They were close enough to break through the kevlar of her suit with that shot. She gazed down at the mark, the raw skin that was exposed as it oozed. The cauterized edges weren’t enough to stop the blood flow, though. They surrounded her and dragged her out of the alley, tossing her in front of Moff Gideon, who was grinning from ear to ear like a Loth Cat. “Stand up, Nellanna,” he ordered, “let’s have a look at you.”

Tears built up in the corners of her eyes as she stood in pain. “You’ll pay for this, asshole,” she spat at his feet.

He waved at one of the troopers to remove her helmet. To which, they ripped it off her head. Din could see her standing in front of the enemy, clutching her side in pain. He watched as Moff Gideon circled her with something in his hand. He couldn’t tell what it was, but he only assumed it was a weapon. “Nellanna Jissard,” he grinned, “my how you’ve grown. And now you’re running around with the likes of bounty hunters. I’m sure Boba Fett would be so proud of you.”

She glared at him, hair falling out of her braid. Her breathing was heavy as she moved in pain to watch him. Nella’s attention was quickly drawn to Shan. “Let go of me, you motherfuckers!” he exclaimed as three troopers dragged him out and threw him on the ground next to her. He moved to fight back, but they hit him so hard in the head with the butt of their blasters that it dropped him. Nella’s eyes burned with anger as she saw him on the ground, unconscious with blood pouring from his forehead. 

She turned her gaze back to Moff Gideon, trying to hide the fear in her eyes. “What do you want from me?”

“The same thing I want from your Mandalorian,” he sneered, “but now I have leverage. You will hand over the child, and I will consider letting you and your little party live.”

Din watched her stiffen and lean in closer to Gideon. “You can have my kid over my dead body.”

“That can always be arranged, Ms. Jissard,” he replied as he quickly spun around to face her, igniting whatever was in his hands. He sent what felt like a hot flame straight through her abdomen. 

Din felt the air leave his body as he stared in horror at Nellanna impaled. She let out a soft, painful whimper as she gazed down at the weapon - a dark, glowing blade that was piercing straight through her, drawing all the life out of her body. He watched as Moff Gideon twisted the blade, pain consuming her face as she cried and howled at the intensity. He wasn’t aware of the screaming that was coming out of his mouth as Cara held him back, trying to prevent him from getting himself killed in the process. “Nella!” he cried. “Goddammit, Nella, no!” It wasn’t until Gideon deactivated it did she fall forward to her knees. He nudged her with his foot and she fell to her side, barely moving. Din saw him look up in his direction with a grin. “No!”

Suddenly, IG-11 came blazing through on a speeder with the kid strapped to his front, guns blazing. With the troopers distracted, Din grabbed his weapons and ran out of the door. He was fighting through every trooper that attacked him in order to make his way to Nella, while Cara tried to save Shan. He shot the trooper next to him, kicking the one in front of him. The adrenaline and rage coursing through his veins numbed the pain of the blaster shots ricocheting off his armor. Moff Gideon was a hell of a shot, as he fired everything he had at Din, but he was still no match for the pissed off Mandalorian. He retreated back to his TIE Fighter as Din made his way closer to Nella’s body. Before he closed the doors, he fired a shot at the E-Web cannon, causing an explosion that sent Din flying away from her. Troopers continued to fire at the party as he crawled over to her, pulling her into his arms. Cara had made her way back with Shan and was now covering him. With the child protected, IG took out four more troopers aiming for Din as he carried her back to the cantina. “Burn them out,” they heard Gideon order before he escaped in his Fighter.

Din gently laid a weakening Nella against a piece of debris that would keep her propped up. While the IG unit, Cara, and Greef were busying themselves with cutting the grate away, Din watched as the kid stopped the Incinerator Stormtrooper from burning them alive. He held his hands up and forced the fire back towards their assailant. The building was on fire, but they were safe for now. As the grate fell away from the wall, IG-11 grabbed the kid, who was now unconscious on the floor. 

Cara knelt next to Din and inspected Nella’s wounds. She had a gash torn right through her. The darksaber had made a clean cut, but the wound was so massive that there was no way she was going to survive from it. Shan was starting to stir. As he woke, he saw Nella next to him, rapidly losing color. His eyes grew wide as he turned to her. “No no no no no,” he repeated, “No, Nella. Mando. Mando, do something!”

Din couldn’t take his eyes off Nella. All he could say to them was “go.” They gazed at him. “Get the kid out of here! Go!”

“Mando!” Shan exclaimed.

“I don’t want him to see her like this!” Din exclaimed, glaring at him through his visor.

IG-11 handed Cara the child. “I will stay with them,” he ordered, “you two follow Karga into the sewers.”

“Promise me you’ll bring them,” Cara said, choked up.

“You have my word,” he replied.

Shan ran his hand over her face. “Hang in there, Nell,” he whispered, kissing her forehead, “don’t leave us just yet.”

As Shan and Cara escaped with Greef, the IG unit knelt down across from Din. “Save her,” Din begged.

IG studied the wound in her abdomen, assessing the situation. “I will do what I can,” IG replied, “but her chances of survival are highly improbable. If I have to choose, I will choose to return to the child, as that is my primary purpose.”

Din looked back down at Nella, whose eyes began to flutter open. For a second, he had hope that she was going to be perfectly fine, but then the tears rolled down her cheeks. “Din,” she whispered in pain. More tears streamed down her face as she realized what was happening to her. He cradled her in his arms as he listened to her speak. “Din, I’m scared.”

“Nella,” he said, a lump forming in his throat, “You’re going to be alright. I just need you to hold on. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“It hurts so much,” she cried, gazing up at him with her big brown eyes.

Din felt his own tears forming as he watched her helplessly writhe in pain. He glared at the droid in front of him and then back at her, wanting nothing more than to take his helmet off and kiss her again.

“I am no living creature,” IG added, almost as if he could read Din’s mind, “you can remove your helmet to say goodbye, if that is what you wish.”

“Goodbye?” Din panicked. He felt an icy chill wash over him. Her eyes were fluttering open and close as her breathing became more erratic. He contemplated for a minute, but the second she closed her eyes again, he didn’t give it another thought. Cautiously, he removed his helmet and gazed down at her. He couldn’t feel the tears falling down his face, but he watched them bounce and roll off her suit. “Nella, don’t leave me,” he begged, “I can’t do this without you.”

Her eyes weakly opened again. “I’m so sorry,” she choked.

He shook his head and then rested his forehead on hers. “Don’t be, cyar’ika,” he soothed, “you never need to apologize to me again. Just stay with me.” He glared at the IG unit again. “Don’t you have bacta spray?”

“I’m afraid that I do not have enough to treat her wound. There is nothing I can do for her, except numb her pain and make her comfortable,” he replied.

Din closed his eyes and pulled her closer to him. She weakly held her hand up against his cheek. “I love you,” she breathed.

“I love you, too,” he rasped, “ So much. Stay with me, please. Nella…”

She pulled his face down her hers as she weakly kissed him. “Protect him,” she added, “he’s going to need you more than ever.”

Din shook his head. “He needs you too, Nell,” he begged. He’d never felt so afraid in his life as he watched her slowly slip away from him. She started to shiver in his hands as she took one final breath before it escaped from her lungs, leaving her lifeless in his arms. “Nell,” he choked out, “Nell!” His voice cracked as he let out several sobs. He held her closer to him, burying his face in her neck.

IG-11 stood and walked to the gate. “We must move,” he said, “the child will need our protection, as this fight is not over yet.”

Din planted one more soft kiss on her lips, secretly hoping that it would wake her. He gently laid her back against the debris and closed her eyes before folding her hands. He reluctantly stood and put his helmet on, following IG after the rest of them. Before leaving, he glanced back at her one last time, only to see her still, hands folded on her stomach. Grief hit him harder than any weapon he’d ever encountered, and then the guilt set in. He instantly blamed himself for not protecting her like he’d promised. “Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum.”

He trailed behind IG, occasionally looking back to see if Nella was behind him, but each time his heart shattered into a million pieces. He’d never felt an ache like this before, but knowing she was gone had ripped a hole right through him that he knew would never heal. He wasn’t able to accept the facts, and he knew there was no way he could break it to the kid that she wasn’t coming. He wished there was a way he could bring her back, save her, or switch places with her. She had so much life and love to give, and the fact that she was gone…

He could hear them arguing about which direction to take. They paused when they saw him, with IG, alone. Shan looked behind Din waiting for Nella to round the corner, but when she never came, his eyes widened in terror. “No,” he breathed in disbelief, “No! Nella!”

He tried to run past Din, but he stopped him. “She’s gone, Shan,” he admitted, his voice cracking again. He winced at the pain. He was afraid to say it outloud, because then it would be true. But, Shan deserved to know.

Cara gasped and looked at Greef. They both glanced over to Din, who looked defeated. He was watching the kid as he looked for Nella behind him. He took a shaky breath, letting it out slowly. She really was gone, and it was killing Din to stand there without her. Shan hit the side of the tunnel and cried out in anguish. He glanced at the Mandalorian, who was becoming more statuesque by the minute. They all knew Nella had softened him, opened him up to a life he never dreamed of, but now that she was gone, he was about to be every enemy’s worst nightmare. He was back to being the cold, hard bounty hunter - except ten times worse.

The kid’s face turned from worried to a frown as he put it all together that she was not coming. “Let’s keep going,” Din ordered.

Shan glanced up at him. “But…”

“She died to protect the kid,” he growled, “and that’s what we are going to do.”

Din stormed past them, grabbed the kid from Cara, and led the way through the tunnel. Cara was worried about him. She didn’t know much about Din, but she knew he cared deeply for Nella. He was in a lot of pain, and despite the fact she couldn’t see his face, she could tell. It was just him and the kid now, and he would keep moving forward for her. He had to for the kid, which meant he wasn’t going to deal with his grief. He was going to shove it down, ignore it for the rest of his life until it would one day spill over.

He froze at the entrance to the Mandalorian covert to see helmets piled high in the middle of The Armorer’s workshop. First Nella, now his people. The kid whimpered, and Din looked down at him. His big eyes were wet, no doubt from grief. Din was thankful his helmet masked the pain he was feeling; he didn’t want the kid to worry about him, too. He knelt down next to the helmets and held one in his hand. Rage burned through him the longer he stared at the pile. “Did you do this?” He roared, rounding on Karga. “Did you?”

“No!” he exclaimed, holding his hands up in defense.

“It was not his fault,” a familiar cool voice replied as she stepped out from the shadows, “We revealed ourselves. We knew what would happen if we left the covert.” She took a piece of armor from the pile and added it to her cart. “The Imperials arrived shortly thereafter. This is what resulted.”

Din’s heart raced. He was tired of the losses, tired of putting people in danger. “Did any survive?”

She sighed and looked at him. “I hope so. Some may have escaped off-world.”

“Come with us,” he pleaded.

She walked further into her forge. “No. I will not abandon this place until I have salvaged what remains.” She began melting down armour pieces. “Show me the one whose safety deemed such destruction.”

Din moved to the side and let IG reveal the Child. “This is the one.”

She glanced at the child and then back to Din. “This is the one you hunted, then saved?”

He nodded. “Yes. The one that saved me as well.”

“From the Mudhorn?”

“Yes.”

“And where is the woman?” she asked, noticing Din stiffen, “I have heard stories of a woman who has traveled with you as this child’s protector.”

He took a shaky breath and stared ahead at The Armorer. “She fell in battle.”

“Then, the child is now a foundling. By Creed, it is in your care,” she replied dryly, “You must reunite it with its own kind.”

Din looked back at the kid and then to the Armorer. “I need to help you, and avenge my…” he paused.

The Armorer looked back at him, curiously waiting for him to finish. “Who was she to you?”

He dropped his head. “My riduur. I cannot let them get away with murdering her.”

“Did she fight bravely?”

Suddenly his chest swelled with pride as he remembered her standing tall in front of Moff Gideon. She didn’t flinch as he circled around her before running her through with his blade. “Braver than anyone I’ve ever seen,” he replied.

“Then, she died a warrior’s death. This is the way,” the Armorer replied.

“This is the way,” he reluctantly echoed. He could not accept that, but knew he had a duty to their kid now. Once he was reunited with his people, he would find Moff Gideon and end his pathetic existence once and for all.

She walked over to Din and attached a signet to his pauldron. “You are now a clan of two. You must go. A foundling is in your care. By Creed, until it is of age or reunited with its own kind, you are as its father.”

“Thank you,” he muttered, “I will wear this with honor.”

There was an explosion behind them and then sounds of Stormtroopers entering the tunnels. “IG, please guard the outer hallway. A scouting party draws near.”

He handed the child to Cara, and followed his direct order. The Armorer turned to Din and continued. “I have one more gift for your journey. Have you trained in the Rising Phoenix?”

“When I was a boy, yes,” he replied.

“Then this,” she handed him a jetpack, “will make you complete.”

“Thank you.”

“When you leave from here, begin your drills. Until you know it, it will not listen to your commands,” she added.

“I understand.”

IG-11 walked back in and announced the scouting party had been taken care of, and they were protected. The Armorer instructed that everyone restock their ammunition before they left, and much to Din’s dismay, she was determined to stay. “Your riduur, was she…?”

“Mandalorian?” he paused. Even if she never would claim it, she was. “Yes, a foundling like me. Clan Fett.”

“Then, she will be remembered as a true Mandalorian who fought to protect her foundling. Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la.”

He felt a stab in his heart at the kind words offered by The Armorer. “Her sacrifice will not be in vain,” he vowed, standing a little taller in front of her. 

She nodded. “Now, go! Down to the river and across the plains. Be safe on your journey.”

Din and the others rushed out of the forge. They’d found the lava river with a boat ready to ferry them to safety. However, Din scanned ahead and saw several Stormtroopers flanking the mouth of the tunnel. He cursed under his breath. It looked like it was an entire platoon. IG-11 offered to sacrifice himself to save the child, but Din was tired of losing members of his party. Kuiil and Nella were brutally murdered along with the rest of his people. He’d grown to trust the droid, only mildly, and wasn’t about to let another lose their life. IG insisted though. The explosion sent a wave of heat towards then as Din protected the child from it. As the boat emerged from the tunnel, a TIE Fighter appeared and opened fire on them. He felt the anger inside him build as he watched it loop back around. “Watch the kid,” he said, handing him to Shan.

“No threat this time?” Shan asked, trying to smile at him.

It was clear though, that Mando was done smiling. He was going to trust Shan, the way she did. It’s what Nella would have wanted.

“I’m out of ideas,” Greef said.

“I’m not,” Din growled. He leaned down and attached his jetpack. As the TIE Fighter approached Din shot into the air, sending a grappling hook onto one of the wings. Gideon twisted and turned, trying to shake him off, but Din held on. He activated a charge and stuck it to the fighter. “For you, Cyar’ika,” he whispered as he leapt off the wing and activated the charges. 

The TIE Fighter wing blew loose, sending the craft into the hills nearby. Din activated his jetpack again and landed safely in front of them. The kid pulled away from Shan, who set him down. He ran to Din as fast as he could, begging to be held by him. He let out a sigh of relief as he picked up their kid. It was finally over. 

The weight of the day was starting to wear on him as he gazed down at the big brown eyes. Din closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “Are you coming back to town?” Greef asked.

Din looked in the direction of town, where smoke was rising from their previous fight. “I can’t,” he replied, his voice dry, “I can’t see her like that again.”

Shan nodded, completely understanding. “I’ll take care of everything,” he said, “she’ll rest peacefully here.”

Din knew she’d want to be buried on Sorgan, but he couldn’t take her back there. He felt his heart break; Omera and Winta were going to be devastated to learn he couldn’t keep her safe. He sat down on the nearest rock, placing the kid next to him. He let out an audible gasp and shook his head. “How am I going to tell Omera and Winta? I failed them. I failed her.”

Cara, Shan, and Greef shared worried glances before Shan stepped forward. “She died protecting her family,” he added, “and she will rest peacefully knowing you both are alive.”

He looked up at Shan and held his hand out. Shan happily shook it and wrapped him into a brotherly hug. “Thank you, Shan,” he mumbled, “She was lucky to have you by her side at the end.”

Shan grinned at him. “It’s part of my job description,” he chided.

Din huffed and shook his head. “Will you do me a favor?” he asked, taking off a pendant he had around his neck. It was a Mythosaur on a piece of leather string. “Bury her with this.”

He nodded and put the pendant in his pocket. Cara walked forward and held her hand out for Din to shake. “Take care, Mando. We’ll be here if you ever come back,” she said.

“Thanks for everything, Dune,” he replied, “Greef.”

The kid clung to Din’s side as he ignited his jetpack to make their way back to the ship that was going to feel more empty than ever. They landed near Kuiil’s body, to which Mando gave a proper burial. The losses were starting to weigh heavy on him. He secured the kid in his pram in his copilot seat before turning to face the front of the ship. He flipped the camera on and saw the empty hold. If he closed his eyes and listened, he could still hear her laughter ring throughout the ship. He was suddenly aware of the empty seat behind him. He still couldn’t accept that she was gone from his life forever. She was just in his arms, kissing him, and telling him she loved him. He brought his fists down on the main console out of grief but paused when he heard something fall and hit the floor. 

He looked under his seat where it had bounced and found her Clan Fett pendant. His heart wrenched and tears ran down his face. Din squeezed it in his hand and held it to his chest. This was the last thing he had of her, his cyar’ika. Yes, she did die a warrior’s death, but he didn’t want her to. He wanted her here with him, on his ship, headed to their home they were going to build on Sorgan. The ache she’d left behind was almost unbearable as he slid the string that held the pendant over his helmet. He took a deep breath, tucking into his shirt. He didn’t even notice the cool metal on his flesh. He was numb to everything, except for the one spot that he’d left open for their kid, and dared anyone to try and mess with him. Maker, help anyone who crosses a grieving father’s instincts.

**Translations**

  * _Cyar’ika - Sweetheart_
  * _Riduur - Wife/Spouse_
  * _Ner Kar’ta - My Love_
  * _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum. - I love you.  
_
  * _Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum. - I’m still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal._
  * _Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la. - Not gone, merely marching far away._




	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things aren’t always as they seem. Director Vane has come to get information that Gideon happily provides. The kid decides The Force will help connect him and Din to something they’ve lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final part of this fic. I’m SO SORRY about the cliffhanger. A season 2 fic called Born of Fury has already been planned. Please let me know what you think! Translations are at the bottom.

“Put her over there,” Dr. Pershing ordered. 

Their base on Nevarro was secluded enough from the rest of the planet that they didn’t have to worry about being discovered. Or at least that’s what they’d hoped. Pershing looked nervously at the body they’d brought in. His assistants instantly started getting to work hooking her up to machines to monitor her vitals. “Her pulse is weak,” one said, “they found her almost dead.”

“Stabilize her,” Pershing sheepishly ordered, “Gideon wanted her body salvaged for some reason. Keep her stable until he gets here.”

They saluted him and he left the room. He hoped Gideon would be arriving shortly, because with a prized bounty hunter on his table, he was certain to have a target on his back. He’d heard the stories and the rumors. If The Mandalorian ever caught wind of who had her, he was certain he’d kill him this time. He walked into his office to look over the data to see what would help their current situation, but he froze the minute the door slid open. There was someone in his chair, feet propped up on his desk, picking her nails with a knife. “O-o-oh!” he stuttered, “Director Vane. Forgive me, but I wasn’t expecting you.”

She glared at him and moved to put her feet on the floor. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight top knot. There was not a single hair out of place. She was one of the most polished and decorated ISB officers left of the Empire, and just as feared as any. As she leaned over his desk looking at the random files on his datapad, she pulled up a picture of Enigma. However, it wasn’t Enigma. It was the woman beneath the helmet. “Rumor has it you have my sister here,” she said.

“W-w-we have Enigma in the medical wing,” he added,” yes.”

She rolled her eyes at his timidness. “That would be my sister, genius. I think you know her as Anadme Vane?”

He nodded. “She’s been stabilized,” he replied, “but I’m not sure for how much longer. I’m waiting for Moff-”

“Do what you need to. If Moff Gideon has a problem with it, he can speak to me directly.” She sighed and resumed her position upon his entry. “I want to speak with her ASAP. I want to see what she knows about this _Mandalorian_.”

“Of course, Director,” he replied, bowing out of the room.

He walked to his lab and grabbed a vile out of the chiller before heading to the medical bay. He handed the vile to the medical droid and instructed it to inject the serum into her wound. Without question, the droid did as commanded. The scanners connected to Nella went haywire, short circuiting one of them. Pershing’s assistants frantically tried everything to stabilize their patient, but suddenly the high pitched single note rang throughout the room. “What do we do now?” one asked him.

He spun on them. “Find the defibrillator!” he growled. “We cannot afford to lose her! She’s our only chance at getting the child back.”

His assistants ran around, bumping into one another looking for the defibrillator. However, the second they powered it on, the power in the room went out. Something had caused everything to blow a fuse. The only screen that remained active was the heart monitor that was still singing the same tune. Nella’s heart beat was gone. She was dead. “Shit,” Pershing mumbled to himself.

He walked over to pull the monitor off of her when a small disturbance caused the monitor to jump. “Wait,” he ordered, “no one move.”

It jumped again. And then again. And within seconds a regular heartbeat was moving through the monitor. He let out a sigh of relief as the lights came back on. Pershing noted that Nella’s breathing pattern was normal, though she was still unconscious. “Keep her sedated. I can’t have her waking up and wreaking havoc before the Moff gets here.”

He walked back out of the room to find Director Vane and update her on her sister’s status. She was still situated comfortably in his office when he returned. “She is alive, but heavily sedated,” he said.

She grinned at him. “Perfect. I want to know the minute she is awake.”

The door hissed opened behind him and they were both joined by Moff Gideon, who looked like he had seen better days. “I assume your effort was successful,” he said, “otherwise you’d still be there, attempting to bring back Enigma from an early grave.”

Pershing nervously nodded. “I had to use some of the serum, though,” he mentioned.

Gideon shot him an evil glare. “Who authorized that?”

“I did,” Vane said, “is there a problem with that?”

Gideon looked at her and stepped forward. “Only that this is my operation and you have no authority here.”

She chuckled. “I have all the authority, Gideon, and if you’re upset with that, we can take this elsewhere to discuss.”

He sneered at her. “You have your sister’s attitude,” he added, “which is exactly what got her killed in the first place.”

Vane tensed. “I couldn’t be any more different than her.”

Gideon smirked at her obvious rage. “Careful there, Kiara, we wouldn’t want you to lose your temper. Save that for Nellanna. After all, we do have proof that she was the one who killed Finon.”

“She will pay for that in good time. Right now, I want to know what she knows about the Mandalorian.” She clenched her fists and leaned back in Pershing’s chair.

“Din Djarin?” Gideon chuckled. “If you want him, all you need to do is tell him we have your sister.”

Kiara glanced at him, slightly confused.

“She’s very special to him. He risked his life just to pull her to safety, only to have her die in his arms. It was quite a bittersweet moment, really.” He laughed again. “You know,” he added, walking closer to her. “You look an _awful_ lot like her.”

Kiara’s mouth twitched into a small smile. “He’ll be haunted by her image.”

“He’ll come looking for her,” Gideon added.

“You’ll get the kid and I’ll have my revenge.”

Gideon nodded. “I have an even better idea.” He turned to the doctor. “Pershing, continue using the serum on her; _in small doses_. Study the effects it has on her.”

Pershing saluted him and left the room to begin his new experiment. Gideon glanced back at Kiara. “Djarin has already left the system with the kid, but a man dressed in full beskar will be easy to find.”

Kiara smiled. “He’ll never know what hit him.”

***

Nella could feel the pain shooting through her arms and legs. Whatever they’d injected her with burned. Her body was on fire, but her voice was gone. She wanted the pain to go away, but in her delirious state all she could manage to whisper was a soft plea, “Help me, Din.”

***

Din sat up in a cold sweat, abruptly pulled from another restless sleep. He heard her voice plain as day, as if she was right next to him. Her voice was in pain, crying out for him to help her. He tried catching his breath as he laid back down, trying to chalk it up to a nightmare. He was still having difficulties accepting the fact she was gone, and hearing her voice so clearly didn’t help. He closed his eyes tight, praying he’d stop hearing her. He rolled over on his side, holding the Onderon silk scarf against his chest. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to sleep without her next to him. He was going to toss and turn. He loved her so much that he refused to let her go, but he needed to for the kid.

The kid’s new bed was hanging just above him. What Din didn’t know, while he tried to forget his dream, was that the kid heard it too. He heard Nella’s cry for help. It had disturbed him from his sleep. He looked around for her, curious as to the source of her voice. He leaned over the side of his hammock and saw Din was turned away from him. Carefully, he sat up and began to meditate, trying to reach out to the voice he’d heard. He thought he could feel something, but he’d gone against the Jedi Code. He’d formed an attachment to her, and if his training taught him anything, this would cloud his vision. He’d only wished he heard her. He tried to reach farther, in one final attempt. Then he felt it. It was a familiar sense to him, and it gave him hope that she was alive. They just needed to find her.


End file.
